


Collateral Damage

by k_no_b



Category: Naruto
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Minor Character Death, Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:48:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22094356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/k_no_b/pseuds/k_no_b
Summary: Her assignment was straightforward enough--use Neji Hyuga to get to his uncle, Hiashi Hyuga, CEO of one of the most prominent property development companies in the city. But as Tenten draws closer to the young Hyuga, the lines between business and pleasure become blurred.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji/Tenten
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! I've been working on this for a few months now, and I'm excited to finally release it into the world!
> 
> This fic contains explicit sexual content (I'm not so sure if it could be qualified as smut), a scene of sexual assault, a scene of masturbation, explicit language use, as well as a minor character death. If those don't sit well with you, or make you uncomfortable, please skip this fic or use your best judgment in reading. As an extra measure, I'll be putting content warnings before each relevant chapter in the Author's Notes. I think I'm not so good at tagging for things, so if you see something in the fic that should be tagged that I missed, please let me know!
> 
> Happy reading! :)

**-collateral damage-**

**-i-**

Neji Hyuga would never understand what led men to strip clubs. They were dark, seedy, unhygienic. . . the list went on and on. When they had arrived at the Kitty Lounge almost an hour earlier, Neji had been completely prepared to abandon the group to their own devices and leave.

However, his promise to his cousin to keep an eye on her fiancé had kept him from following through. Which was why Neji Hyuga was currently sitting in front of a dim, glittery stage, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.

Neji rubbed his eyes tiredly, glancing over to his companions. He had tried so hard to get out of this ridiculous endeavor. He’d made the excuses and shied away from the plans—and yet, here he sat, at the Kitty Lounge with his “friends”, watching women slither sensually up and down the stage.

Naruto, his soon-to-be-cousin-by-marriage-but-more-like-brother-in-law, got to his feet, wide-eyed. He flushed when he met Neji’s gaze, smiling apologetically. “Neji, you know this wasn’t my idea, right?” Naruto asked, walking over.

Neji gave a single nod, expression unforgiving. With a tone of hesitation, Naruto leaned down to whisper, “You won’t tell Hinata, right? She’d kill me.”

Neji inhaled deeply, trying to keep his annoyance from showing. He quirked an eyebrow at Naruto. For a brief second, he wondered what Naruto would do if he told him that Hinata knew exactly where he was tonight. _But that would be unnecessarily cruel_ , Neji decided. “Perhaps you should get better friends,” he advised coldly.

Naruto laughed nervously. “They’re all my old college buddies—still living in the past, I guess.”

Neji considered him. “You frequented strip clubs in college?”

Naruto laughed again, distinctly more anxious. “Not a lot,” he assured. “Once or twice _maybe_. When I was drunk.”

Finding it difficult to school his features into indifference, Neji got to his feet, brushing by Naruto to head to the bar. He ordered a bourbon, neat, and ran a hand down his face, trying to control his irritation. The bartender set a glass of dark liquid in front of him, and Neji drank evenly.

The bartender grinned mockingly. Neji’s foul mood deepened as he sipped from his glass, glancing through his phone for an adequate distraction.

“Business or pleasure?” said a voice at his side.

Neji exhaled and pulled his eyes from his phone, looking over. A woman in a bright white wig was smiling at him, her face reflecting the neon lights. He couldn’t tell what color her eyes were—every spot in this damned room was cast into shadow.

“Neither,” Neji answered in a clipped tone. He turned away and took another sip of his drink.

The woman leaned on the bar, catching his eye once more. “I only ask because you’re wearing an impeccably tailored suit, and yet, you’re in a strip club. You’re sending a lot of mixed signals.”

“I’m sure you see plenty of businessmen come through here,” Neji replied crisply. He finished his drink and set it back down, waving over the bartender for another refill, setting his phone facedown.

“I do,” the woman admitted, her stare direct, “but none as good-looking as you.”

Neji glanced at her, frowning. “What do you want? I’m not going to pay you for anything.”

She smiled, tilting her head to the side. “Who says I want your money?” she posed. “Can’t a girl have an intelligent conversation every once in a while?”

Neji did not answer, narrowing his eyes. She looked over his shoulder and inclined her head. “Are those your friends?” she asked.

Neji resisted from glancing over at them, accepting his refilled glass from the bartender gratefully. “They aren’t my friends,” he muttered, gulping down more bourbon.

Her smirk deepened, self-assured. “Ah, are you the groom?”

Neji swallowed past the burn in his throat, glaring. “No, that would be the blonde idiot.”

“So, you’re the brother, then,” she deduced.

“Close enough,” Neji said, polishing off the rest of his glass. He held up his hand for another refill, then thought better of it, pushing the glass away.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but Kiba Inuzuka, one of Naruto’s friends and the gentleman to whom this evening adventure was for, came up to the bar, throwing his arm chummily over Neji’s shoulders. Neji shrugged him off irritably.

“Neji,” Kiba said, his voice heavy with lust and alcohol, “isn’t this the best?”

Neji sighed. “Enchanting,” he answered sardonically.

“You don’t like it?” Kiba asked, eyes wide with surprise.

“That doesn’t matter; I’m here anyway,” Neji spat.

Kiba’s gaze drifted past Neji to the woman. A lascivious grin graced his mouth. “Hello there,” he said in a tone he clearly believed was sexy.

Neji stepped back from the bar, grasping his phone once more. The woman raised a dark eyebrow in amusement. “Your friend is trashed,” she commented, dismissing Kiba’s appraising look.

“He’s not my friend,” Neji responded.

She smiled lightly and walked past him, her bare arm brushing his suit sleeve. Neji caught the scent of her perfume—he was overcome with the smell of sandalwood and jasmine. Neji’s throat tightened as he caught himself inhaling it. He swallowed carefully.

“See you around,” she called over her shoulder, disappearing past the tables to slip behind a curtain.

Kiba threw his arm over Neji’s shoulders again, leading him back to their seats. Neji lightly pushed him off and sat down, checking his watch.

“Next up, Angel,” came the announcer’s voice through the loudspeaker.

There were some whoops and catcalls as the lights dimmed, and a spotlight beamed onto a pearlescent screen. Backlit behind the screen was a female form, standing sensually, arms thrown out like a dancer’s. Someone turned on a smoke machine, and underneath the music, there was a distinct hiss as the machine’s fans poured out white vapor.

The form danced behind the screen, shimmying up and down, once, twice, three times. Finally, she emerged, the smoke thick and ethereal.

She’d undergone a quick transformation in the minutes that she’d left Neji at the bar. She’d abandoned her shorts and mesh top for a silky white negligee. Her white wig brushed her shoulders as she sashayed across the stage, showing off her assets. When she passed by Neji, she smiled at him, her eyes pinning him to his seat.

She flounced over to the pole and expertly swung herself onto it. Neji tried to pull his eyes away from the way she moved, but her act was alluring. Her strength was evident as she turned, her legs twined around the pole. Her eyes met Neji’s at each bend, her mouth turned upward in a smirk.

Neji felt his mouth go dry, his heart beating fast as he wondered if she was dancing solely for him. He shook his head to clear his fogginess.

She slowed as she wound down from the pole, landing solidly on her feet. She walked the stage once more, before heading to the back of the platform. She struck a pose, her arms held above her head in some semblance of heavenly appeal.

The music faded, and the smoke machine was switched off. As patrons clapped and hooted, throwing cash onto the stage, her gaze stayed on Neji, unwavering.

He barely registered opening his wallet and tossing a few spare bills onto the stage, but he did, dazed. She smiled at him one last time and slipped away, back into the darkness of backstage.

“Hot,” Kiba declared next to him.

Neji felt himself nod once, absolutely mystified.

After another hour, he was able to convince everyone to leave, directing them into waiting cabs. Naruto settled into the passenger seat of Neji’s car, clearly drunk, his forehead pressed against the window.

“Thanks, Neji,” he muttered. “I owe you one.”

Neji buckled his seatbelt and sighed, looking over to him. “Naruto, you owe me a thousand favors after tonight.”

Naruto’s only answer was a loud snore.

**-x-**

A few hours later, Tenten waited at the bar for her cut of the night’s tips. She chewed absently on a fingernail, watching the bartender clean up his station. Noticing her gaze, he sent her a toothy grin.

Tenten rolled her eyes and looked away, her fingers closing around her phone, nestled inside her purse. She held it for a moment before letting go, clasping her hands tightly in her lap to keep from fidgeting.

“Good work tonight,” said the manager as he strolled past, setting down a bulging envelope. “You should come by more often.”

Tenten thanked him and grabbed the packet, headed for the door. The bartender called after her, “Hey, wait up! I’ll walk you out!”

She grimaced before waving a dismissive hand over her shoulder. “No, thanks,” she called back. “I’m good.”

“But—”

Tenten burst out of the club and into the early morning, wincing from the humidity. She walked quickly, stuffing her tips into her bag as she headed for the nearest bus stop. She didn’t have to wait long. A nondescript black car pulled up less than five minutes later, and Tenten clambered inside. The car pulled smoothly away from the curb. Tenten shivered from the cool interior; the AC was on full blast.

“Did you get it?”

Tenten peered at her handler. Her amber eyes looked back at Tenten, face flat. Wordlessly, Tenten pulled out her phone and handed it over.

She watched as the woman thumbed through the contents for a moment, before inserting a cord in the USB port. Tenten waited in silence as the software finished downloading. When she was done, she dropped it back into Tenten’s palm.

“How did he seem to you?” her handler asked.

“Normal. Annoyed. He wasn’t happy about being dragged to a strip club,” Tenten said, shrugging.

“Did he seem close to the others?”

“Not particularly,” Tenten responded. “He wasn’t pleased to be there. Though he personally drove his brother-in-law-to-be home. The others he put into cabs.”

The woman mulled this over, her hand coming up to brush back a lock of hair. Her ring flashed for a moment. “It would be ideal to ingratiate yourself with the family,” she finally said, glancing at Tenten. “To be privy to personal information.”

“I know.”

The woman pursed her lips, her features devoid of emotion. She said, a little stern, “No mistakes this time, Tenten.”

Tenten nodded, her fist clenching. “Yes, I know.”

The car stopped and Tenten slid out without a goodbye. She watched as the car continued down the street, not moving towards her walk-up until it was gone from her sight.

**-x-**

It wasn’t until she slipped into her apartment and locked the door behind her that Tenten felt the night’s tension leave her shoulders. She sighed, dumping her things on the floor by the front door. She wandered deeper inside her one-room apartment clutching her phone and charger, feeling more tired with every step.

She went to the bathroom and stripped down, leaning her body against the cool shower tiles as the water got hot. She slowly shampooed her hair, relishing the feeling of sticky sweat sliding off her body. She dried off and brushed her teeth, pushing her wet hair out of her face. Switching off the lights, Tenten dove onto her futon and closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the darkness settle around her. She breathed deeply and reached for her phone.

After a moment of summoning her strength, Tenten opened her eyes and scrolled through the hacked data, eyes searching lazily for anything of use. She tapped through the photos, only mildly disappointed to see most of the pictures were of construction sites and development plans, or screenshots of emails.

“Boring,” she muttered to herself, switching to text messages.

These were significantly more exciting, but not by much. She skimmed the group chat that led them to the strip club earlier, unsurprised to see that he had given largely one-word, clearly agitated answers.

His text chain with his cousin was an improvement. She had given him strict instructions to accompany her fiancé to a meeting about tuxedos—that could be something, though Tenten doubted she could work it in quickly enough; it was the following weekend.

Yawning, Tenten flipped onto her stomach, glancing over a short exchange he had with his uncle. It was painfully cordial, almost cold, and it contained no talk of business, only short statements to equally short, generic questions.

Tenten sighed and dropped her phone onto the floor. She scrambled underneath her duvet, her head buzzing with plans. A few seconds later, her hand snaked back out and grasped her phone again, disappearing underneath the covers. Blinking slowly, she searched his name for the hundredth time. His corporate picture was always the first to appear, next to his company profile and net worth.

Tenten studied his features, attempting once more to crack the man behind the cool expression. She chuckled to herself and put her phone back on the nightstand. He’d been much more interesting in person.


	2. Chapter 2

**-ii-**

Neji Hyuga started his day at five a.m. He would head down to his apartment building’s gym and alternate running on a treadmill or lifting weights, reviewing emails while he exercised. After an hour, he would return to his apartment and shower, before dressing for work. On most days he would take the train to work, but on other occasions he would drive himself or take a cab.

He would arrive at the office a little after seven, answer a few more emails or phone calls, then head back out to walk down the street a few blocks to a small coffee shop. He would order one medium black coffee, and if he was feeling hungry, a bagel, or, less often, a breakfast sandwich. Regularly, he would linger, taking a seat by the door to skim the newspaper. He was a slow coffee drinker, taking sparse sips. The loud pop music that blared in the shop never seemed to faze him.

He would then return to the office for the remainder of the day, taking lunch around one p.m. in the building commissary. His lunch options varied—on cool days he was more prone to sandwiches or noodles. On hotter days he would opt for a salad or packaged sushi. He would consistently drink water for these meals.

The rest of the afternoon he’d spend in his office. If he had an afternoon meeting, he would take only a thirty-minute lunch, spending the entire time reviewing notes on his phone. At seven fifteen p.m., he would leave work. If he had an important meeting the next day, he would stay until eight p.m. On the days that he visited development sites, he would leave at five p.m. and spend the evening consulting with the project managers on-site.

Rarely would he go to a restaurant for dinner, unless it was for business. More often, he would stop by a convenience store on the way home and select something at random—the data wasn’t ever consistent enough to form a reliable outcome.

He’d then head home, watching the news as he worked on his laptop. He was more prone to phone calls in the evening—more personal calls than business ones. His cousin, Hinata, was the one who called him the most often.

He would go to bed no later than nine p.m., though according to his phone activity, he was usually up until at least eleven.

His phone usage was disconcerting. He had no self-indulgent apps, no games, no media—other than news sites or what was necessary for the company. Yet, he would spend that two-hour gap awake, mysteriously out of reach.

_What is he up to?_ Tenten mused, night after night as she monitored him. Her confusion only grew—his day was perfectly laid out for her. But the two hours he lay awake at night, essentially doing something but nothing, had Tenten almost out of her mind with curiosity.

**-x-**

“One medium black coffee, please.”

The barista nodded and took Neji’s money, reaching for a coffee cup with her other hand. Neji moved out of the line, shuffling to the end of the bar.

The coffee shop he frequented was unusually crowded this Wednesday morning; Neji could barely move without bumping into someone. He cast a quick glance around the small room and was disappointed to see all the tables were taken.

Neji frowned and turned back to receive his coffee. The barista pushed it into his hands and rushed back to the register; in her haste, she’d neglected to place a lid on his cup. Neji sighed and turned on his heel, remembering that the shop kept a small station by the wall with extra napkins, cutlery, and lids.

Neji collided with another body as he turned; coffee sloshed out of his cup and splashed down his front. There was a sharp hiss, and the shop took a collective intake of breath.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized sincerely, quickly grabbing a stack of napkins the barista had held out.

The woman he’d bumped into looked up at him, wide-eyed. Neji felt a flush creep up his neck. She looked down. Her front was completely doused in coffee; her cream blouse was tinged with a dark stain.

“Are you alright?” Neji asked, handing her the wad of napkins.

The woman’s eyebrows rose. She said in a tone that was clear with displeasure, “Considering I just got doused with hot coffee, yes.”

Neji grimaced.

“I’m going to the restroom to see if I can salvage this,” she muttered, mostly to herself. She walked away and disappeared down the hall to the shop’s bathrooms.

Neji sighed heavily, feeling terrible as he moved through the crowd to stand near the hallway. A few moments later, the woman emerged, her blouse now streaked with an ugly brown. Neji’s embarrassment deepened. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I didn’t have a lid, and it’s crowded today. . . It’s usually never like this. . .”

The woman looked at him, her expression a mix of embarrassment and frustration. Neji’s guilt spiked. “Please let me pay to have your blouse dry-cleaned,” he said in a rush, at a loss for how to make amends.

She seemed doubtful, looking down at her shirt again. She grimaced. “It’s okay, I didn’t like this blouse much anyway.”

“I insist,” Neji said. He reached into his suit pocket and withdrew his business card. “Call this number. My assistant can set it up for you.”

She took the business card skeptically, studying it carefully. “Neji Hyuga, COO,” she read in an annoyed tone.

“I’m serious. Call the number on the card and I’ll have it taken care of. I’m very sorry,” Neji pressed, gaze direct.

Her brown eyes flitted from the business card to him, clearly wondering if he was who he said he was. Neji gestured to the line at the register. “I can get your coffee, if you want.”

A small smile perched on her lips. “No, that’s okay. I’ve had enough coffee for today, I think.” She slid his business card into her purse, considering him. “You’re right—it is really crowded today. It wasn’t your fault.”

Neji shook his head. “No, it was. Are you sure I can’t buy you a coffee? Or . . . a bagel or something?”

She smiled, the irritation easing from her features. “It’s okay, I swear,” she said. “No harm done—other than the second-degree burns.”

Neji blanched. “Did it burn you?” he asked urgently.

She chuckled. “Relax, I’m joking. Thanks for the offer, but I’m late anyway. I will take you up on the dry-cleaning though.”

Neji nodded encouragingly. “Please do. I’m very sorry about everything.”

She held out her hand to shake. Neji grasped it firmly. “Tian,” she said, introducing herself.

“Neji,” he answered.

She pulled away, readjusting her purse on her shoulder. “I should go,” she said. “Thanks again.”

“Let me know if I can do anything else,” Neji called after her as she made her way to the front door.

She looked over her shoulder and nodded once, before slipping through the crowd to exit out onto the street. Neji glanced down at his watch and sighed, heading towards the entrance to return to the office.

His assistant, Moegi, stared at him with wide eyes when he swept past her desk to go into his office. “What happened to you?” she called, looking at the dark spots on his shirt with disgust.

“An accident,” Neji replied, already rummaging through a small cabinet where he kept an extra set of clothes. “A woman should call you sometime today about dry-cleaning. Please set it up, alright, Moegi? Pay for it from my personal account.”

“Sure,” Moegi said slowly, pulling her eyes from his office as Neji shut the blinds to change.

**-x-**

Neji’s entire day continued in an off-kilter way. First, his uncle called to complain about a property acquisition falling through during negotiations, which was followed by a frantic text from Neji’s top project manager, stating that there were foundation issues in one of their new developments in the eastern part of the city. Neji spent his afternoon trying to repair the negotiations, while he fielded alternating calls from his project manager and contractor.

By the time it had grown dark outside, Neji pushed back from his desk with a sigh. Tired and distracted, he gathered his things. As he passed Moegi’s desk to leave for the night, he stopped, eyeing her. “Did a woman call for the dry-cleaning?” he asked.

“Yes,” Moegi said, studying her computer. “It’s all taken care of.”

Neji leaned against the desk, wondering. “Did she leave her contact information?”

“Yes,” Moegi said again. She raised her eyes to her boss. “Do you want it?”

Neji winced and shook his head, walking out towards the elevators. “Never mind.”

“She seemed nice,” Moegi called after him. “Are you sure you—”

“ _Goodnight_ , Moegi,” Neji said sternly.

Moegi rolled her eyes at her computer screen. “Goodnight, sir,” she sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

**-iii-**

“Fancy meeting you here, again.”

Neji glanced over his shoulder to see the woman he’d doused with coffee earlier that week—Tian, he remembered. She had been lucky enough to secure a small table wedged against the wall. Her fingers were poised over a laptop, headphones in her ears. Her eyes were warm as she considered him. Neji nodded to her, unsure of what to say.

“You can sit here, if you want,” she invited, gesturing to the chair across from her.

Neji hesitated; the coffee shop was crowded again, and he’d resigned himself to taking his newspaper to read back at the office. Aloud he said, “I wouldn’t want to disturb your work.”

She smiled welcomingly. “Go ahead,” she said, nodding.

Neji sat, somewhat reluctant. In a conversational tone, she continued, “Thanks again for the dry cleaning. I wasn’t sure the stain would come out, but they worked a miracle.”

Neji nodded. “It’s the least I could do. I’m pleased that the stain came out.”

There was a pause as she looked down at something on her laptop, and Neji took a sip of his coffee, setting his newspaper on the table. “Your assistant was very nice,” she went on.

“Moegi?” Neji asked. “Yes, she’s very capable at her job.”

“Well, it wasn’t so much that. She had a lot of empathy—apparently she’s had quite a few coffees spilled on her before.”

Neji’s eyebrows rose a fraction in interest; Moegi had never mentioned it to him. “She has?”

She nodded, a grin spreading across her lips. “She told me that one time she was running late to a meeting, and that she was supposed to bring drinks for everyone. She was in such a rush that she spilled seven coffees all over herself, and then she had to wait back in line to have the order redone.”

Neji shook his head slightly, unable to recall this instance. Tian shrugged. “I told her that she was the real champion compared to the measly coffee I had spilled on me.”

Neji smiled pleasantly. She typed a few things onto her laptop, and Neji shifted to open his newspaper. After a moment of trying to read, Neji lifted his gaze to her. “So,” he started, pushing aside his apprehension. “What do you do?”

“I’m a translator,” she said smoothly, eyes on her screen.

“Really?” Neji said, intrigued.

Tian nodded. “I mostly do freelance work, but sometimes I’m lucky enough to get a big job for a company or the government.”

“You work remotely, then?”

“Yes.” Tian said, removing her earbuds to give him her full attention. “Though, honestly, I get a little tired of the library or working from home. I found this coffee shop and it’s been providing me the exact amount of variance I needed.”

She smiled, and Neji returned it, drawn in by her open expression. “You come here often, right? I think I’ve seen you here a few times—you know, before you spilled coffee on me.”

“Yes,” Neji replied. “My office is up the street.”

“Right,” Tian smirked, tilting her head in consideration. “Neji Hyuga, COO. What kind of work requires your chief operating abilities?”

“Property development,” he answered.

Tian hummed to herself, peering at him with curiosity. “Sounds demanding,” she murmured.

“It has its moments,” Neji said with a sigh, thinking of the amount of problems he’d had to fix that week.

“Once,” Tian began in a confidential tone, leaning forward, “right out of college, I took a translation job where I had to translate a huge text for some literary company. And it was on a short deadline—something like a month and a half. It was a project I was doing with another translator, but they got sick right before it was due. I was supposed to check all the translations before I submitted it—but honestly, I was so overwhelmed I just skimmed the whole work. I made dozens of mistakes. Completely disappointed the company. That was not a great moment.”

Neji listened to her story attentively, studying the expressiveness of her eyes. She blushed under his gaze and shyly turned back to her laptop. “Sorry,” she said. “I forget sometimes that most people find my translation stories boring.”

“You enjoy your work,” Neji replied. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Tian smiled. “I’m sure things as a COO are much more interesting.”

Neji shrugged, noncommittal. “That’s one way to put it,” he said. His eyes flicked back to her laptop. “I’m sorry—I’m keeping you from your work.”

“It’s okay. I was in the middle of a break anyway.”

“No, I should go. I need to get back.” Neji stood to his feet, grasping his newspaper. “Thank you for sharing your table. I’m sorry again for spilling coffee on you.”

She beamed up at him and shook her head dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Sorry for making you suffer through a very boring translation error story.”

Neji smirked and held up a hand in goodbye. Cheerily, Tian waved back before returning her focus to her screen.

**-x-**

They easily fell into a routine. Often, Tian would make it to the shop first and procure a table. Neji would arrive not long after and take the liberty of ordering both of them coffees—for him, his medium black drip, for her, a cappuccino. They would then politely ask about the other’s day and tell a smattering of anecdotes, before Neji would switch to scanning the paper, trying to appear focused on the material he was reading, and not on every move Tian made.

One morning, around three weeks after the spilled coffee incident, Tian asked, looking over at the paper in his hands, “What interests you in the newspaper? Politics?”

Neji grimaced, avoiding her gaze. “No, nothing that prominent.”

She waited for his answer, her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Neji shot her a look, seeming to be weighing his options. Finally, he leaned forward to say, in a low voice, “The advice column intrigues me the most.”

Tenten tried not to let the surprise show on her face. She mirrored him, leaning forward, eyes dancing with fascination. “Oh, really? What is it about them that you like?”

Neji took a sip from his coffee cup, summoning his thoughts. “I think it’s interesting that these people share intimate details of their lives with a stranger, in the hopes of advice. Doesn’t it seem strange that they have no one in their lives they can discuss these problems with? They . . . expose their secrets, have them published in the paper for everyone to read—it must take a lot of courage.”

Tenten watched Neji carefully throughout this explanation, studying the movement of his eyes as he looked at the newspaper, the way he involuntarily flexed his hand at the word ‘secrets’. Tian replied, “Trust can be a hard thing to come by. Maybe they want clear eyes on situations that aren’t so simple with the people they know.”

Neji lifted his eyes to hers, his face pensive. After a moment, he asked, “Would you ever solicit anonymous advice?”

Tenten smiled teasingly. “I don’t have any secrets, Neji. Though . . . I wouldn’t mind some advice on how to clean a tile shower effectively.” She tapped her finger against the table, as if in thought.

Neji smiled, his expression softening. He glanced at his watch, his mouth quickly dropping into a frown. “I’m sorry,” he said, getting to his feet, “I should be back at the office by now.”

Tian nodded in understanding, smiling prettily as Neji grasped his paper. He slowly pushed his chair in and hesitated, staring down at her. With some trepidation, he asked in a rushed breath, “Would you like to go to dinner?”

Tian raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. “With you?” she asked.

Neji nodded. Tian’s expression doubled in astonishment. Slowly, she said, “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Neji pressed his lips together—this was excruciating; no wonder he never dated. “Yes.”

Tian ducked her head to hide her smile. Her cheeks were dusted with a flattered blush. “A date with Neji Hyuga, COO,” she mused aloud, catching his eye. “That sounds interesting.”

“Tonight?” Neji asked, eager to be done with the awkwardness.

Tian nodded, her eyes bright.

Wordlessly, Neji held out his phone, and Tian entered her number. “I’ll make a reservation and pick you up,” Neji said, accepting his phone back from Tian. “Is eight alright?”

“Eight is perfect,” Tian grinned. “See you later, Neji.”

Neji walked to the door and slipped out onto the street. When he passed the shop’s window, his eyes immediately turned to find Tian. She waved to him, her mouth quirked in an amused smile. Neji waved back and passed by, swallowing down his nerves as he made his way back to the office.

**-x-**

Tenten rolled her aching neck, staring at her reflection in the spotted bathroom mirror. She’d stayed at the coffee shop for almost the entirety of the day, screening Neji’s phone activity on her computer while she did research on his company.

It had gone well, as far as she was concerned. He seemed mildly interested in her, if not a little nervous. Tenten smiled to herself. Nervous was good.

In reply to her text that she’d gotten the date, Konan had simply responded, **_Probe relationship with CEO._**

Tenten had rolled her eyes at that; what did Konan think—that she was clueless? That she knew nothing about how these operations worked? It was demoralizing.

Frowning, Tenten went to stand in front of her tiny closet, studying her selection of clothes. “What says, ‘Tell me all your secrets’?” she wondered aloud. She touched the quarter-length sleeve of a red dress, but made a face, deeming it too bold.

“Demure, demure,” she muttered. She ran a finger down a modest, sleeveless black dress. She yanked it off the hanger and pulled it on, struggling to zip up the back.

Humming to herself, Tenten walked back to her bathroom to consider her reflection. She undid her hair and shook it out, letting it fall in waves that framed her face. Brushing aside her bangs, Tenten smiled.

Tian smiled back.

**-x-**

Neji drove a clean, economical car. There were little personal effects—he didn’t even have CDs.

“Do you not listen to music?” Tian asked curiously, casting a wide-eyed glance around the interior.

“Not usually. I have to take business calls in the car often.”

Tenten, unsatisfied with his answer, pressed a little more. “Are you sure this isn’t a rental car?” she persisted, running a finger across the dash for dirt.

Neji seemed unbothered by her taunting; a small smirk pulled at his mouth. “I have it cleaned during the week.”

“Are you saying that at some point in the recent past, this car _wasn’t_ in a showroom?”

Neji’s features brightened with his amusement. “Our date was a little short notice to pick up a new vehicle.”

“Somehow, that answer makes me think you make it a habit of buying new cars for every date you go on. You must have an entire garage filled with four-door hybrids.”

Neji snorted. “I think you’re overestimating my lifestyle,” he answered, pulling into the restaurant. A valet rushed forward to open their doors.

As they watched the valet get into the car and drive it away, Tenten raised her eyebrows. “I don’t think I need anything else to prove my point,” she murmured, smirking.

Neji shook his head amiably and guided her to the hostess’s station. It was a small restaurant, intimate, with partitions separating most of the diners. They followed the hostess to a two-person table in a secluded corner. To one side of the table, there was a wall of flowing water, creating a hushed, and calming atmosphere.

“You know,” Tian said, placing her napkin in her lap, “you don’t have to impress me, Neji Hyuga. I already know you’re prone to spilling coffee on unsuspecting women, and that you read advice columns in the newspaper.”

Neji suppressed a smile. “Do you think I’m trying to impress you? What if I just like this restaurant?”

_You don’t go to restaurants_ , Tenten thought in reply, glancing down at the menu.

A waiter arrived at their table, and after a short back-and-forth with Neji, recommended a merlot, which he poured for them into long-stemmed glasses. He further offered suggestions on the menu, and Tenten, itching to have him gone, took him up on his commendation. Neji ordered the same thing she did—inwardly, Tenten winced at this effort of politeness—and the waiter whisked away their menus, encouraging them to enjoy their evening.

Tian swirled the wine in her glass, taking a small sip. Neji mirrored her, eyes flitting over to study the wall with the water feature. “So, _are_ you trying to impress me?” she asked, perching an eyebrow in interest.

Neji looked back to her and thought for a moment, eyes searching her face. “Do I need to?” he finally responded.

“I already said you didn’t. . . But I must admit, I wasn’t expecting all of this,” she said, gesturing to the water wall. “Is this where you take your other dates of fancy businesswomen?”

Neji shook his head, studying her carefully. “I don’t date.” He touched his wine glass but didn’t drink from it.

Tian gazed at him, intrigued, tilting her head. “I find that hard to believe, but I’ll bite. Why not?”

Neji cast another quick eye around the restaurant, moving his fingers from the wine glass to adjust his tie, briefly. “I think it’s obvious that I’m reserved. You don’t have to flatter me,” he replied, eyes darting back to her.

“You’re really trying to tell me that you don’t date because you’re shy?” Tian asked, raising an eyebrow.

Neji cocked his head at her. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“No. . . I’m just surprised. You are the COO of a pretty successful company, right?”

Neji winced, his gaze dropping to the table. “Something like that,” Neji answered, noncommittal.

Tenten sat back in her chair, sipping her wine as she thought through her next line. He was clearly uncomfortable, but why should he be? Making up her mind, she said in a bright, engaging tone, “So, how does one get to be a COO?”

Neji raised his eyes to her. “Nepotism,” he said drily.

Tenten smirked. “A family business?” she asked.

Neji took a steady drink of wine, then sat back in his chair, some of the tension leaving his shoulders, though his expression remained reserved. “My grandfather originally started the company, right after the war. It was a small operation then—mainly buying land and contracting it out to build hotels and factories. When my father and uncle turned nineteen, my grandfather gave them two options—they could intern at the company and take positions in running the business, or they could go to university and get degrees.

“My father chose university; he’d always wanted to study history. My uncle chose differently—he’d always strived to emulate my grandfather and working in the family business was highly expected of him, being the firstborn son.” Neji paused, eyeing Tian for signs of boredom. She stared back at him, gaze fixed in attention. “It was natural, for my uncle. He quickly began to take over most of the business operations from my grandfather, and eventually, he forced him into early retirement. He’s run the business ever since.”

Tian inquired, “What about your father? What did he do?”

Neji’s features softened. He shrugged, touching the stem of his wine glass thoughtfully. “He met a girl, fell in love, got married.” Neji paused a moment, then said, “He died a few years ago.”

Tian tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

Neji shook his head and drank more wine. Tenten waited a moment, letting the air lighten. The waiter came by to refill their glasses, promising their food was almost done. When he stepped away again, Tian asked, “You’ve told me about your family, but what about you? Did you want to be a part of the business?”

Neji smiled wryly. “I wasn’t given much of a choice.”

She tilted her head in consideration. “What do you mean?”

“When I graduated from university, my original plan was to take a year off and travel—to figure out if being part of the family business was something I really wanted to pursue. But before I left, my grandfather passed away. My uncle said that he needed help with the business, and that I was one of the only family members he would trust to help him sort everything out. My grandfather hadn’t been working in the company for many years, but most of our clients and investors were originally his. My uncle felt that our business relationships were unstable; he hired me on as a consultant, to reassure our shareholders.”

Tenten mused over this, questions bubbling to her lips. She pushed them back and slipped Tian back into place. “As interesting as this is, Neji, I’d much rather hear embarrassing stories about your college days.”

Tenten watched as Neji smiled, his eyes sparking with allure. She’d never seen such an expression on his usually inscrutable face. And she knew, instantly, that he was intrigued. Tian grinned in reply, her cheeks flushing with pleasure.

**-x-**

They finished dinner with only one more serious conversation—Tian discovered Neji’s mother was also deceased, from breast cancer seven years prior. The rest of their time was filled with Tian regaling Neji with stories of her translating woes, her “family” (who just happened to live thousands of miles away), and the one time she “accidentally” shoplifted (this story was true, though with altered details).

By the time they were sliding into Neji’s car, the nervous energy in his body had disappeared, more at ease than Tenten had yet seen him. When they reached her building, Neji parked, and though Tian insisted that he didn’t have to, he got out to walk her inside.

Tenten stopped him at the stairwell. “I’ll be fine; it’s three flights,” said Tian, stepping backwards onto the first step, holding eye contact.

“Are you sure? I don’t mind,” Neji replied, glancing up the flights of dingy stairs.

Tenten nodded, moving slightly to regain his attention. Neji looked back to her, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face.

Tenten paused for a moment, wondering if he would kiss her. “Thank you for tonight,” she said. “I had fun.”

“Did you?” Neji asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tenten couldn’t stop the smile that rose to her mouth. “Besides the water wall and the valet, it was like every other date I’ve been on. They even had good food.”

Neji studied her, clearly trying to figure out if this was a compliment or a detriment. Lightly, Tenten reached out and grasped his suit sleeve, playfully tugging on it. Neji stared into her eyes, barely seeming to notice. _Do I have to do everything?_ Tenten thought to herself.

With an attempt at a shy smile, Tenten slid her hand up to rest on his chest and angled her head, brushing her lips against his. The tips of Neji’s fingers grazed her neck as he carefully kissed her back.

Tian gently pulled away, and smiled again, blushing prettily. “I’ll see you in the morning?” she said, climbing another step.

Neji nodded, his eyes unwavering. Tenten smiled. “Goodnight, Neji Hyuga.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: This chapter contains a scene with masturbation/implied sexual content.

**-iv-**

Tenten quickly came to the realization that Neji Hyuga was not an ideal selection, not that she had much of a choice. He was unfailingly deliberate and cautious, which caused him to drag things out to a snail’s pace when Tenten needed him to simply become enamored with her—a feat that was made doubly difficult from the mild, passive personality she’d constructed for Tian.

After their fourth date, Konan finally called for an update. “What have you been able to glean?” she asked Tenten briskly.

Tenten sighed, lying back on her futon to stare up at the water-damaged ceiling. “He’s reserved,” she began, thinking through their interactions.

“About what?”

Tenten held back a snort. “Everything.”

“What have you discussed?”

Tenten reached up to press her hand to her eyes, wincing from the headache developing behind her forehead. “The normal chit-chat you have on a date—does he like his job, what he does for fun. Family history.”

“No mention of the uncle?”

Tenten paused. While Hiashi Hyuga had come up several times over the course of their last few dates, Neji had consistently shied away from the topic, not interested in furthering the conversation. “He’s been mentioned,” Tenten admitted in a halting tone.

Konan paused, musing over this for a second. “Why isn’t he opening up to you more easily? The last time we spoke you said he was hooked.”

Tenten rolled her eyes. “It’s not that easy.”

“What’s the problem?” Konan asked brusquely.

Tenten sighed, thinking. “Well . . . the real problem is that Neji Hyuga doesn’t want a girlfriend—it’s too much guesswork for him.”

“Then what does he want?”

Tenten thought for a moment. Her features softened as she arrived at the answer, her chest deflating. “To run away.”

Konan mused over this for a second. “Perhaps you could arrange a trip. . .”

Tenten opened her mouth to clarify her meaning, but Konan had already moved onto another point, saying, “We’re expecting better intel, Tenten. Now that you’ve made contact you should be coming up with more helpful information.”

Tenten gritted her teeth. “I’m working on it. There’s only so much I can do without coming off forceful or suspicious.”

Cuttingly, Konan said, “I don’t want to hear any excuses. We want this done quickly. You have an in, so use it.”

Tenten clutched a pillow tightly. “These things take time, and he’s not a good choice for this mission—he’s too wary.”

“Just get it done, Tenten.”

The line went dead and Tenten punched the pillow in frustration. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment before reaching for her phone, wondering if she should text him. It was almost eleven . . . would he think it obnoxious or flattering? Was it too soon to reach out hours after their date? Would he think she was looking for something else?

Tenten rolled her eyes and exhaled tiredly. She decided to chance it and typed out a quick message. **_Thank you for this evening. I had a nice time._**

He responded almost ten minutes later—Tenten wondered if he’d waited to not seem too eager, or if he had difficulty in figuring out what to say. She imagined him, laying on top of his bed, shirtless as he scrolled through his business emails. **_I had a nice time as well._**

Tenten turned onto her side, pulling her comforter over her head to mull over his text. He hadn’t given her much to work with—Tenten assumed he was unused to texting, since he spent most of his day on phone calls.

_Should I call him?_ she wondered, nibbling on her thumbnail. Tenten grimaced and shook her head, setting her phone aside, not wanting to come off too eager. She wouldn’t want to give him any cause for alarm. She closed her eyes, running back through their most recent date.

While Neji wasn’t as boring in person as he was on paper, he was still far too cautious for her liking. Heedlessness was easier to manipulate—but it was obvious Neji Hyuga was the antithesis of foolhardy.

Tenten licked her lips, meditating on their kiss goodnight. However careful he was, Tenten liked kissing him. He wasn’t rushed or awkward or even bad—simply restrained. Tenten smiled to herself. She was looking forward to seeing how far she could push him until his reservations fell.

**-x-**

In addition to their morning coffee ritual, they began having dinner together one night out of the week. Always, Neji made reservations at restaurants that Tenten knew he didn’t frequent, though he continued to pretend he did.

One evening, several weeks after that first date, Tenten, growing tired of the monotony and the strait-laced conversation, asked him, “What’s something you used to do for fun? Before you became a fancy businessman?”

Neji mulled over her question, thoughtfully cutting up his chicken. Tenten waited impatiently, shoving aside Tian’s insistent habit of filling up silence.

Finally, he said in a distant tone, “My father used to take me to a museum on most Saturdays, from the time I was around twelve until he died. He would walk me around the exhibits or the paintings or the sculptures, telling me everything he knew about the time period or the artist.” Neji lifted his gaze to her and smiled shyly. “I’m aware that isn’t what most twelve-year-olds would consider fun.”

Tenten’s lips twitched. Tian said, “I wouldn’t be so sure. I think most twelve-year-olds just like spending time with their parents. Your father sounds like he was an interesting man.”

Neji nodded, forehead furrowed. “He was,” he said, considering her carefully. “What about you? What did twelve-year-old Tian find fun?”

“My family liked to travel a lot,” Tenten invented, thinking fast. “Every summer we would pick a city we hadn’t been to before and go explore it.” She smiled. “I think that’s where I found my love of translation, being around all sorts of different people and languages.”

As Tian launched into another story, Tenten relaxed into her chair, thankful that lies came so easily. Watching Neji carefully for a spark of interest in his expression, Tenten had an idea. She picked up her wine glass and smiled around the rim.

**-x-**

Hinata called as Neji was entering his apartment later that evening, around ten. He shuffled around his briefcase, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “Hello,” he said distractedly, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Neji, did you speak with Father?”

Neji rubbed his eyes. “Not today. Why?”

“I took him to the doctor today for his yearly check-up. The news wasn’t good.”

Neji stilled, his gaze lifting to the ceiling. “What did the doctor say?”

“It’s nothing serious, yet,” Hinata said. “His blood pressure isn’t good. He has some blockages in his arteries that the doctor is concerned about. And his stress is too high, but we knew that already.”

Neji sighed. “That’s the same diagnosis my dad had, before his heart attack.”

“Yes,” Hinata hummed.

“How is he taking it?”

“As good as can be expected. I caught him smoking outside five minutes after we got home from the doctor’s office.”

Neji shook his head, clenching his jaw. “I suppose the doctor told him smoking would make it worse.”

“Of course, he did. I reminded him all the way home too. But you know Father. Stubborn as a mule.” Hinata paused, thoughtful. “I told him he had to quit. Change his diet, stop taking work home with him. He laughed at me.”

Neji swallowed, a flare of irritation at his uncle resurfacing. “He didn’t mean anything by it, Hinata.”

Hinata was unconvinced. “Yes, he did. He thinks my concern is laughable.”

Neji said nothing, unwilling to try to defend him. After thinking for a moment, he said, “I’ll take over more. To relieve some of his workload.”

“Neji, I don’t want you to do that.”

“He won’t trust anyone else, Hinata. Either I take it from him, or he has a heart attack trying to keep up.”

Hinata exhaled. Her tone heavy with emotion, she said, “None of this has been fair to you. You didn’t even want to work for the company, and now you’re COO. Father has kept you in a place where you don’t want to be.”

Neji’s irritation grew. Impatiently, he replied, “You’re saying you want me to leave?”

“No! I—Listen, you know that Hanabi and I have no interest in the company. If it were up to us, we would sell it. But you know Father. He believes in the generational business. . . I was thinking . . . maybe you could bring Naruto on to help.”

Neji controlled his urge to laugh. “You’re crazy if you think Uncle will let Naruto anywhere near the company.”

“We’re getting married; it’s not like Father can hate him forever.”

“Yes, as soon as you give him a grandchild, I’m sure he’ll come around,” Neji quipped, rolling his eyes.

Hinata ignored the jab. “Father will listen to you, Neji. Naruto doesn’t have to do a lot—make him an assistant or something.”

“I thought you didn’t want any part of the company. Why are you trying to install Naruto in your place?”

“I’m not Naruto.”

“No,” Neji said, “but you’re marrying him. If you don’t think the shareholders will assume you’re trying to make decisions for the company through him, then you’re being naïve.”

Hinata sighed in exasperation. “Neji, I don’t want the company. I swear. I think it would be good for Naruto—give him some real business experience.”

Neji ran a hand down his face, exhausted. For the last six months, Naruto had been attempting to launch a start-up around electronics. He had some seed money, but when Hinata had first asked her father to help Naruto develop some business acumen, Hiashi had outright refused.

Naruto had been languishing over the project for months, and while Hinata had been supportive, even Neji could tell her patience was running a little thin.

“Hinata, does Naruto—” Neji paused, glancing at his phone as it buzzed. Tian had texted: **_Hi—I just wanted to say I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow._**

“Does Naruto what?” Hinata prompted.

“Nothing,” Neji said distractedly, tapping out a response.

“You didn’t finish your sentence,” Hinata continued, sounding confused. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Hinata” Neji said again, pulling his eyes from the bubble of text that indicated Tian was typing an answer. “I had a message.”

“From who?” Hinata pressed, intrigued.

Neji tried not to feel insulted from the incredulity in her tone. “A friend,” he replied tersely.

“What friend? Is it someone I know?”

“No, it isn’t,” Neji said, glancing at Tian’s message. **_I’m excited for our date this week!_** He smiled to himself, wondering.

“Fine,” Hinata said, putting it aside. “I was thinking you could come to dinner tomorrow night. I want to talk more about letting Naruto train some at the company. Can you?”

“No, I have an appointment,” Neji said immediately, thinking of he and Tian’s standing date.

“What appointment do you have on a Tuesday evening? A business meeting?” Hinata mused. A second passed and then she gasped in surprise. “Neji—do you have a date?”

Neji sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose—why hadn’t he hung up by now? “Yes,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You didn’t tell me you were seeing anyone!” Hinata accused, sounding offended.

“It’s only been a couple of months,” Neji said, attempting to allay the situation.

“ _Months?_ ” Hinata whispered.

Neji winced—clearly his cousin was displeased with his omittance. “It’s not anything serious, Hinata. We’ve been on a few dates, that’s all.”

“A _few_ dates?” Hinata said. “Who is she? Why haven’t you mentioned her before?”

Neji exhaled. “Her name is Tian.”

“Tian. When do I get to meet her?”

Neji shook his head. “When I think it’s a good idea.”

“Neji, I’m like your sister. Why can’t I meet her?”

Neji rolled his eyes. “Because I don’t want to give her the impression that it’s serious. Or that I’m desperate.”

Hinata seemed flabbergasted by this explanation. “Do you really think I would give her that impression? I can be discreet. Besides, why wouldn’t it be serious? This is the first woman you’ve officially dated in years.”

Neji winced at this reminder. “Hinata, I’m still figuring her out. I don’t even know if I like her enough to keep dating her. Trust me—if I get to a place where I could see a future with her, you’ll be the first to know. And have Naruto come by the office tomorrow. I’m not making you any promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”

**-x-**

“Do you have a preference for dinner this evening?” Neji asked her the next day, skimming the advice column.

“Actually,” Tian said, leaning forward, “I will be deciding our date for tonight.”

Neji’s gaze lifted, a small dent of confusion in his brow. “Is that so?” he said, sitting up straighter.

Tenten smiled and nodded. It was somewhat of an odd choice, she knew—Tian was mild in temperament, easy-going, not bold, boring, even. While her taking charge like this might not fit with the personality she’d developed, Tenten refused to set foot in another fancy restaurant for mundane conversation. Besides, the nugget she’d extracted about Neji and his father’s trips to the museum had been too good to pass up. If she wanted the real Neji Hyuga, the one behind the polite businessman he pretended to be in front of her, it seemed only fair that she had to give up a bit of her fantasy as well.

“I’m going to text you an address later. Meet me there at six,” she told him, an impish smirk resting at the corner of her mouth.

**-x-**

Neji sighed, watching Naruto. The blonde had spent the last fifteen minutes wandering around his office and picking up random objects, turning them over in his hands, then setting them back down, slightly askew from before he’d touched them.

“So, Hinata said something to you,” Naruto was saying, standing before Neji’s bookcases. “She asked you to get me a job?”

“Something like that,” Neji responded, tapping a pen on his desk. “What do you want to do here? I’ll see if I can find something appropriate.”

Naruto glanced at Neji over his shoulder, a good-natured grin on his mouth. “I don’t want to work here, Neji. I’ve tried telling Hina that.”

Neji exhaled, glancing out the window briefly before looking back to Naruto. “Well, she’s not pleased with your other venture. Why don’t you try taking on a few hours here, just to see if it will make her feel better?”

Naruto shook his head, turning to him. “I’m surprised you even let her talk you into this.”

“I don’t pick fights with Hinata,” Neji replied shortly.

Naruto smiled. “Smart. I wish I were that wise.”

A small smirk pulled at Neji’s lips. “I wouldn’t find you anything too difficult. Just something to help you get your feet wet.”  
Naruto’s expression hardened. “I’ve tried explaining this to Hinata a thousand times, Neji. I don’t need help making my mark on the world; all I want is encouragement.”

“She’s not doing this to restrain you. She wants to help, in her own way,” Neji defended.

Naruto nodded, frowning slightly. “I know she does. But—you Hyuga’s, you never understand what you can’t see right in front of your eyes. My vision is all up here,” Naruto said, tapping his forehead.

Neji sat back in his chair, exhaling. “So, I have to tell her you refused a position? Do you know how angry that will make her?”

“Don’t worry about Hina,” Naruto said, brushing this off. “I’ll talk to her.” Naruto paused, then shot Neji a raised eyebrow. “She told me that you’re seeing someone—someone secret.”

Neji rolled his eyes. “It’s not a secret.”

“Then how come you hadn’t mentioned it? Hinata said that you’ve been dating her for months.”

Neji didn’t reply, rolling the pen back and forth across the desktop. “I didn’t want to cause a fuss.”

Naruto snorted. “Neji, you’ve never caused a fuss in your entire life. Hinata was disappointed you hadn’t mentioned it sooner.”

“Can’t I date in someone in peace without interference?”

Naruto chuckled. “So, who is she?”

“A woman I met at the coffee shop I go to down the street. Her name is Tian.”

Naruto mused over this, eyes searching Neji’s face curiously. “Do you like her?”

Neji gave a noncommittal shrug. “She’s nice to spend time with.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes at that reply, forehead wrinkling with skepticism. “You’re not sure if you like her, then?”

“I like her,” Neji responded firmly. “But . . . most of our conversations don’t run very deep. I’m trying to decide if she’s just someone to pass the time with, or if it could be something more.”

Naruto mused over this, considering Neji. “Relationships take time to develop, Neji. Look at me and Hina!”

Neji smiled politely, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Right. Well, Naruto, if you’re not going to work here, I really need to get back to—”

“Being Hiashi’s lackey?” Naruto teased with a toothy grin. “Fine. See you, Neji.”

**-x-**

That evening, when Neji strolled up to the museum five minutes to six, recognition dawning on his face, Tenten couldn’t help the real smile that spread across her mouth. “Surprised?” she asked, drinking in his expression.

Neji’s eyes alighted on her, his lips pulling towards a lopsided, unguarded smile.

_God, he’s gorgeous_ , Tenten thought, comparing this Neji to all the other ones she’d experienced in the last few weeks. Unchecked, he reached out to take her hand and led her to the museum’s entrance.

**-x-**

Tenten never expected her idea to go half as well as it did. Apparently when Neji had mentioned the museum trips his father would take him on, he had quite literally meant every single Saturday. He’d been to the Edo-Tokyo museum dozens of times, knew every nook and cranny of the place. He’d also retained quite a bit of the information his father had spouted to him over the years.

He talked more in the span of their two-hour visit than the entire time she’d known him, telling her story after story of so-and-so time period, or a historical event that his father had had an interest in studying.

During a brief pause in the Tokyo Industrial corner, Tenten murmured to him, “You must miss him a lot. Your father.”

Neji flinched, his eyes leaving one of the displays to glance at her for a second. On a lurch of compassion, Tenten reached out and slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together. Without another word, she guided him to the next section, heart thudding in her chest.

**-x-**

Later, on their way to Neji’s apartment to pick up his car so he could take Tian home, Neji finally murmured, “I haven’t been back since he died.”

Tenten peered at him from the corner of her eye. She said, “I’m sure it must have felt different, without him going with you.”

Neji nodded, grasping her hand as they began to cross the street. He didn’t let go when they safely reached the other side.

They walked in silence, trying to avoid being jostled by other pedestrians. A few moments passed before Neji said, “My father and I were close. He was my best friend.”

Tenten stayed quiet, waiting. When Neji did not venture to say anything else, she said, “I can tell you had a special relationship with him. Not many people are that close with their parents.”

Neji glanced at her. “You don’t consider yourself close to your parents?”

Tenten searched for an answer that Tian could give. She said, with a sad smile, “It’s hard to be close to people who live on the other side of the world. We talk, sure, but that’s not the same as spending every Saturday in a museum with your dad.”

Neji considered this, then asked, curiosity in his tone, “Who would you say you’re closest to, then?”

_Shit_ , Tenten thought, mind racing. She could make someone up of course—but if things got serious, she’d rather not have to bring in another Akatsuki agent to get her out of the hole she’d dug for herself.

Lighthearted, Tian shrugged. “It might sound sad, but no one really. I keep weird hours because of my job, and it’s hard to meet people when you work remotely like I do.” She tried to keep her expression relaxed, though inwardly she was tense, awaiting Neji’s response.

“I understand,” Neji said. “Besides my father, the person I’m closest to is my cousin. I don’t have much time for anyone else . . . and it’s difficult to start new friendships when I’m working all the time.”

Tenten sighed in relief. “Exactly,” Tian said, giving Neji’s hand a squeeze.

A smirk graced his mouth and Tenten felt her tension slip away, pressing herself into his side.

Moments later, they’d reached the parking garage where Neji kept his car. They slowly walked over, but Neji didn’t unlock the door.

He turned to her, leaning against the passenger side door. He untangled his hand from hers to reach out and brush her hair behind her ear. Tenten swallowed, fighting the urge to make the first move. _Tian would wait, Tian would wait_ , she reminded herself, ignoring the fast beat of her heart.

Neji didn’t kiss her. Instead, he studied her for another long moment, his hand lingering by her ear. Softly, he asked, not quite meeting her eyes, “What would you say to coming upstairs for a few minutes?”

Tenten held back a forceful _Yes!_ She made Tian say, with some reserve, “Alright. Just for a few minutes.”

**-x-**

“Wow,” Tenten said as they entered his apartment, running a quick eye over the place. “COO’s live well.”

She heard Neji chuckle behind her, switching on the lights. It was a spacious one-bedroom, with large bay windows that looked out to the city. His living room was clean, featuring a long, dark couch. His television was by no means new—Tenten assumed he didn’t go out of his way to purchase trendy gadgets. Other than that, his apartment was disappointingly empty. His bedroom door was closed; Tenten wondered if she would be able to glance inside.

“Do you. . .” Neji paused.

Tenten turned to look at him and tried not to smile; he was completely out of his element. She lightly teased, “Am I the first woman you’ve brought to your apartment, Neji Hyuga?”

Neji glanced away, a mix of an embarrassed smile and a grimace crossing his lips. “My cousin Hinata has been here many times.”

Tenten hummed aloud, excitement flooding her veins. “Well, I don’t know what to say, other than I’m honored to be here.”

Neji looked back at her, trying to sift through the nuances of her tone. “You’re making fun of me,” he finally deduced, watching as she came closer to him.

Tenten couldn’t help herself; she stretched out a hand and placed it on his arm, sliding it up to touch his cheek. Neji swallowed, his gaze unwavering.

She waited, with bated breath, for Neji to close the distance between them. Tenten had no idea how he could be so patient—all evening she had been itching with the desire to touch him, to kiss him, to feel him brush up against her.

_How can he stand it?_ Tenten wondered, her skin stinging as he set his fingers around the back of her neck, his thumb brushing the hollow of her throat.

Finally, _finally_ , Neji pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her slowly. Tenten savored it, slipping her fingers into his hair. She let him set the pace, but inwardly, Tenten was cringing from holding herself back. She wanted to be wrapped around him, his hands touching every inch of her.

Her desire grew for him underneath her skin, blooming with every renewed kiss or slight touch. Tenten swallowed and leaned back from him, trying to push Tian back into place. She smiled awkwardly at Neji, blushing. “Sorry,” Tian whispered. “It’s just . . . I have a deadline. . .”

Fleetingly, Neji’s forehead creased in disappointment. Tenten blinked and it was gone. “Of course,” he said, leading her back towards the door.

**-x-**

“Thank you for today,” Neji said, kissing her gently in her apartment stairwell. “It meant a lot to me.”

Tenten smiled at him, softening from his touch. Apparently, his earlier disappointment really had been short-lived. “It’s a pleasure to make you happy, Neji Hyuga,” she whispered back, permitting herself to kiss him back, her lips softly tugging at his own. The fire in her belly grew.

Neji pulled away, his cheeks developing a blush. He smiled, shyly, and took a step back from her, slipping out of the stairwell with a small wave.

Tenten raced up the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time. She blew into her apartment and locked her door, slinging her things around carelessly in frustration. “Dammit,” she muttered, loudly enough to cause her voice to bounce off the walls back at her.

She flung herself onto her futon, furiously pushing away her Akatsuki-issued laptop. Tenten rolled over onto her back, breathing deeply, trying to put him out of her mind. The more she was with him, the more she wanted to touch him, and it was quickly becoming all she could think about. But Tian didn’t touch like Tenten, and Tenten couldn’t hold back like Tian.

“Fuck,” Tenten whispered to the ceiling, licking her lips. She pictured him shirtless, leaning over her, his hair falling forward to tickle her skin. His hands skimming up her sides, brushing her breasts, spreading her arms above her head. His mouth tasting her nipples, making her shiver, her back arcing.

Tenten let out a low breath, her hand dipping past the waistband of her pants, massaging the burning sensation between her legs. Imaginary Neji trailed his lips from her chest to her neck, sliding his fingers down to touch her.

Tenten rode the wave of sensation, varying the motion of her fingers until the edge was satisfied, her breath falling quickly. “Fuck,” she said again, wishing desperately for reality over fantasy.

**-x-**

When he got home that night after dropping Tian off, Neji took a shower, then called Hinata. She answered with a sleepy hello.

“What morning are you free?” Neji asked without preamble, glancing through his calendar.

Hinata hummed as she searched through her planner. “Next Saturday morning is open. Why—did you want to meet? I actually have some wedding stuff I’d like your help with. . .”

“Tian and I will meet you for brunch that day. Where do you want to go?”

There was a beat of silence as Hinata thought through what Neji had said. “You changed your mind?” she asked, incredulous. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Neji replied, walking over to look down at the city from his bedroom window. “She’s an interesting person. I’d like you to meet her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Edo-Tokyo Museum is real! It opened in 1993 in Tokyo, and it's a popular tourist attraction.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Explicit sex scene ahead.

**-v-**

Tenten knew little of Hinata Hyuga. Though touted among most circles as Hyuga Development Company’s heiress, she lived a private life, removed from the attention of the public. After some extensive research, the most Tenten had been able to uncover about her was that she was a notorious philanthropist—rescuing puppies, organizing charity auctions for cancer, serving in a girls’ mentorship program, and, on occasion, a model for such-and-such charity. And that wasn’t even scratching the surface. Hinata’s acts of goodwill were well-documented, but Tenten wasn’t so inexperienced to believe that there was even more that had gone unreported.

In one miniscule interview that Hinata had deigned to give five years ago, at the age of twenty-two, she had said, “My greatest wish for this world is that acts of kindness would become so ingrained in our collective society as human beings, that this praise and highlight of persons would not be necessary. Kindness should be something we just do—because it’s the right thing.”

Though mildly impressed by this speech, Tenten hadn’t been able to help rolling her eyes.

**-x-**

Tian fussily brushed at her bangs, her eyes flitting about as she and Neji walked to meet Hinata at the agreed upon brunch spot. Neji glanced at her from the corner of his eye, a smirk rising to his lips. “Nervous?” he asked, squeezing her hand.

Tian smiled shyly and nodded.

“Don’t be. Hinata’s very nice.”

Tenten did not reply, mentally wondering how to make this meeting go in her favor. Hinata was by no means a part of the company, but she had valuable information on her father, Hiashi Hyuga. Would it be possible to direct the conversation there, considering the circumstances?

Tenten bit her lip, unsure. Neji’s thumb moved back and forth over the back of her hand and Tenten resisted the urge to pull her hand away; his touch had become a near-constant distraction.

Despite Tian’s reticence in his apartment the previous week, Neji had been touching her more than ever before. She’d been to his apartment twice in the last week—though not for more than thirty minutes collectively. She still hadn’t seen his bedroom, and they’d done little more than make out on his couch, much to Tenten’s personal frustration.

Neji pulled Tian towards the front door of the restaurant. The brunch spot Hinata had chosen was mid-sized, with comfortable looking chairs and clean-looking tablecloths. Neji and Tian were early; they were shown to a four-person table by a sleepy-looking waiter.

As Neji glanced over the menu, Tenten tried not to fidget. She touched her water glass, then withdrew her grip, setting her hands in her lap, her fingers twisting together.

Underneath the table, Neji slid his hand to rest on top of hers. Tenten’s lips parted at his touch, her head already spinning with ideas of where else she’d like his fingers to go.

“Don’t be nervous,” he whispered again, eyes still on the menu.

Tenten clenched her jaw and mechanically leaned into Neji’s shoulder, glancing at the list of brunch items over his shoulder.

“Good morning!” came a bright, graceful voice.

Tenten snapped her eyes to Hinata Hyuga, pushing aside her desire to laugh nervously. Hinata in-person was almost indistinguishable than the professional photos of her on the internet. Her long, dark hair was shiny and healthy-looking, and her eyes were expressively kind. She was dressed in a smart-looking pair of trousers and a lilac sweater.

Tian smiled. “Good morning,” she replied cheerily.

Hinata sat down at the table, looking back and forth between she and Neji. In a burst of sweetness, she said in a gentle voice, “Neji, you didn’t tell me Tian was so pretty!”

Tenten reddened, glancing at Neji. He considered his cousin, frowning. “Hinata, please.”

Hinata’s smile grew, and Neji shook his head, seeming embarrassed. “This is Tian—my girlfriend,” Neji said, skimming over his cousin’s comment to formally introduce them.

Tenten was momentarily flattered—his girlfriend? _I wish I could make a bet over if he’s ever said those words before_ , she thought to herself smugly.

“This is my cousin, Hinata,” Neji continued, catching Tian’s eye.

Tian reached out and shook Hinata’s hand. She noted the sparkling diamond ring on her ring finger. Taking the chance, she said politely, “You’re engaged? Congratulations—Neji didn’t mention it to me.”

Hinata cast a besotted look at the ring on her finger, a faint rosy glow dusting her pale cheeks. “Thank you—Neji probably didn’t mention it because he hates my fiancé.”

Tenten drank from her water glass, letting her eyes wander to Neji. He rolled his eyes at his cousin. “I don’t hate him. That would be Uncle’s prerogative, not mine.”

“Well,” Hinata said, daintily arranging a napkin in her lap, “we’re not here to talk about that.” She looked at Tian with a gleam in her eye. “Tell me, Tian, how did you and Neji meet?”

Tenten considered this piece of information, mildly surprised. Neji hadn’t told Hinata this already? Aloud she said, “Well, he spilled hot coffee down my shirt. By accident, of course.” Tian caught his eye and smiled. Neji cleared his throat and pointedly looked away. Tenten inwardly smiled at this nervous tic.

“Neji! You spilled coffee on her?” Hinata tutted. “I hope you paid for her dry-cleaning.”

Tenten couldn’t help her smile. “He did,” said Tian admiringly, patting Neji’s shoulder affectionately. “He was extremely polite.”

Hinata tilted her head in consideration, a mischievous glint in her pale eyes. “I’m happy to hear that. Once—when was it, Neji? in college?—he got so drunk that he vomited all over the seats in my sister’s new car. The stain never came out.”

Tenten smiled wickedly, glancing at Neji, who was pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He glared at his cousin. “I’ll never understand your obsession with that story,” he said, disgruntled.

“Because no one would expect it of you,” Hinata teased. “And you know Hanabi has never forgiven you for it. Besides, it’s the only fun thing you’ve done in years.”

“The _only_ fun thing?” Tenten prompted, looking between them. “You mean Neji isn’t _pretending_ to be boring?”

Hinata grinned. Below the table, Neji let his hand slowly slide down Tian’s thigh, squeezing her knee. Tenten flushed, heart hammering in her chest. She passed a hand over her face, seemingly adjusting her bangs, but really, she was attempting to hide the look of vulnerability she knew had surfaced in her expression.

“Neji never pretends to be anything,” Hinata said in a softened tone, treating Neji to a kind smile. “He is exactly the person he appears to be.”

Tenten controlled her wince at this statement. Tian smiled, looking at Hinata. “I think that’s what made me give him a chance after he spilled coffee all over me. He was so nice, and he seemed so sorry.”

Neji’s fingers tapped a rhythm on the inside of her thigh. Tenten swallowed, struggling against distraction.

“I was sorry,” Neji said, rolling his eyes. He reached for his coffee cup and drank. His other hand moved to rest on the top of her leg, his thumb lightly moving back and forth.

Tenten bit the inside of her cheek, aroused and irritated all at once.

Hinata shared another smile with Tian, then turned to her menu, saying off-handedly, “You’ll want to remember that moment, Tian. Neji hardly ever apologizes.”

Neji looked away, his mouth tight at the dig. Tenten knew she was missing something as she looked between them, though she couldn’t place her finger on what it was they had disagreed over.

They ordered, and Tian began asking Hinata the expected cursory questions about her upcoming nuptials. Hinata gushed until their food came about Naruto Uzumaki, the woes of planning a wedding, and her desire to forego wedding gifts in lieu of donations to charities.

As they made their way through the meal, Hinata probed Tian’s background gently, asking after her family and her job. Since Tenten had already undergone this process with Neji, she was comfortable with her answers.

Hinata did not mention her father again. She was replying to one of Tian’s questions about a certain charity she was involved with when a blonde man suddenly walked up and sat down haphazardly next to Hinata, casually setting his arm around the back of her chair.

“Sorry, I’m late,” he said, grinning at the three of them. His blue eyes came to rest on Tian, and he cocked his head, gaze narrowing.

“Tian, this is Naruto, Hinata’s fiancé,” Neji introduced.

Naruto smiled at her, comfortably pulling Hinata closer to him. “It’s nice to meet you.” He paused, squinting as he stared at her. “Have we met before? You look familiar.”

_Shit_ , Tenten thought. Aloud she tittered, saying, “I get that a lot. I guess I have one of those faces.” She chuckled, and glanced back at Hinata, who resumed her story.

Naruto nodded, mostly to himself, but something in his eyes made Tenten wonder if he hadn’t so easily accepted her explanation.

As the four of them walked out of the restaurant a while later, Hinata, clinging to Naruto’s arm, said earnestly, “We should do this again soon. I’ve tried getting Neji to go out with Naruto and I for ages, but he always refuses.”

Neji let his fingers reach out and brush Tian’s. Tenten resisted the shiver that prickled across her skin. “I refused because I don’t like being a third-wheel,” Neji replied shortly.

“Well, you don’t have that excuse anymore, do you?” Hinata retorted. She glanced at Tian, her expression softening. “Next week, okay?”

“I have a business trip,” Neji said, already tugging Tian away.

Hinata pursed her lips. “That’s fine. Tian and I can meet without you, Neji. Unless you’re paying her to be your girlfriend and you’re worried about the cost.”

Tenten grinned at this barb, glancing at Neji from the corner of her eye to view his expression. Neji rolled his eyes, a line of annoyed affection in his brow. In answer, Tian walked over and quickly exchanged numbers with Hinata, smiling when the woman pulled her in for a brief hug.

“See you soon,” Hinata said. She waved to her cousin and turned away, leaning her head on Naruto’s shoulder as they walked down the sidewalk.

**-x-**

Neji pushed her back against his apartment door, holding her throat as he kissed her.

“You’re not worried about getting caught making out in the hallway?” Tenten muttered, laughing as Neji’s fingers brushed a section of skin underneath her shirt.

“No one comes down this hallway,” Neji replied, pressing his hand into the small of her back.

Tenten was momentarily distracted as his lips trailed down her neck. She burned against his touch and grasped his jaw, guiding him back to her mouth.

Neji smirked against her lips, his hands holding her tight as she kissed him fiercely. His hand fumbled into his coat pocket and withdrew his keycard, swiping it against the door. Tian paused, looking up at him as she heard the door unlock. “Are you saying you own this whole _floor_?” she said.

Neji’s eyes danced with mischief. Tenten reached behind her to turn the knob and pulled Neji inside with her.

She kept him pressed to her as they moved slowly down the hallway of his apartment, undoing buttons and letting fingers roam over skin. When they reached Neji’s bedroom, he guided her toward his bed. He pulled back and stared into her eyes, her face in his hands.

Tenten smiled up at him, her eyes playful. “Is this the first time you’ve done this?” she asked, pushing his shirt aside to run her hands up his chest.

Neji rolled his eyes. “If you’re asking if you’re the first girl I’ve brought into my room, then that would be a no.”

“That wasn’t my exact question, but your answer will suffice,” she replied with a smile, sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

Neji lifted her head, bringing his lips down to hers. Tenten easily undid his belt and pants, pushing them off. Neji hooked an arm underneath her and shifted her to the middle of the bed. His hand ghosted over her bare stomach to skim her hips, deftly unzipping her skirt.

Tenten slid out of it and met Neji’s eyes, Tian far from her mind. He stared down at her, his fingers tracing her curves. “You were driving me crazy at brunch,” she whispered to him, pushing his hand down between her legs.

Neji swallowed but said nothing. Tenten guided him, adjusting his tempo, sighing with pleasure as he stroked her soft spot. Tenten moved her hips, helping Neji feel the rhythm she wanted. His hand slid against her, and Tenten wanted, desperately, for him to go down on her—but she wasn’t sure if he would do so, without her prompting.

She flushed red, glowing with pleasure, when a moment later, she felt his mouth dip down, his tongue sliding into her. Her back arced, and Tenten sighed, shuddering as he went deeper. Her hands wound into his hair, and moved to grip his shoulders, her nails grazing the back of his neck. Neji pressed himself further in and Tenten moaned, her body on fire. She slipped into the sensation, her body rolling slowly from the rush. Her head spun as Neji fumbled in a bedside drawer, searching for a condom. He turned back to her, and in a daze, Tenten instinctually felt him hesitate with uncertainty over what she wanted.

She mumbled something unintelligible and pulled him onto her, tilting her head up to kiss him. He pressed into her and leaned down, sighing as his lips touched hers. He moved his mouth to her neck, hips moving fast, until he also was suspended in ecstasy, uttering a low groan from the back of his throat.

He moved onto his side, his chest rising and falling steadily; Tenten’s head was still spinning. Absently, eyes half-closed, she reached out and traced his mouth. As Neji drifted to sleep, he pulled her closer, his arms wrapped around her. Tenten laid her head on his chest and dozed off, feeling wholly and perfectly secure.

**-x-**

When she woke hours later, it was evening—the moon was just emerging into the sky, the city lights shining. Woozy, Tenten pushed herself up, glancing down at Neji. One arm was thrown over his face, his breathing steady as he slept on.

Tenten couldn’t help the grin that graced her mouth. Quietly, she slipped out of bed and went to the living room to check her phone, nestled inside her purse.

There was one text from Konan: **_The laptop._**

Tenten frowned but looked around the room. The laptop in question—the one that Neji did company work on—was not two feet from her, resting on a couch cushion.

She stared at it for a long moment, before turning away, dropping her phone back into her purse. She tiptoed into Neji’s bathroom and soundlessly shut the door, raising her eyebrows at his shower. Smiling to herself, she turned the water on and stepped inside.

**-x-**

“Your shower is amazing,” Tenten murmured as she came back into the room a while later.

The lights were still off. Neji was silhouetted against the large window, looking out at the city. She leaned against the bathroom doorway, watching him. “Nice view,” she said after a moment.

“It is,” Neji admitted.

Tenten smiled to herself and padded over, coming to stand next to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she studied his expression, softly lit from the city lights below.

Neji said, “Almost every night I stare out this window and wonder what it would be like to be someone else.”

Tenten turned her eyes to him, weighing this. She said, “You’re the COO of the biggest development firm in the city. Why would you want to be someone else?”

Neji released a half-smile, not amused but not quite sad. “That doesn’t mean anything to me. As COO, I can’t interact with my employees because I need to maintain a certain distinction. My family is too invested in the business to really talk to, besides Hinata. All my college friends have families or small businesses or are too busy—I can’t relate to anyone anymore.”

Tenten pulled her towel tighter around her, consciously attempting to keep her expression steady. “It’s nice to be someone else sometimes,” she agreed, swallowing past a lump in her throat, “but you’ll have no peace of mind if you can’t live with yourself.”

Neji glanced at her finally, his face relaxed. “I’ve learned how to live with myself—I only wish I weren’t so alone.”

Tenten reached out and grasped his chin in her hand. She pressed her lips to his, her heart pounding in her chest. Neji’s arms surrounded her, and Tenten leaned back into the glass window. They kissed until they were breathless, then Tenten tipped her head up to gaze at him. The city lights reflected in his pale eyes as he stared back, his hand cradling the back of her neck. “I’ll be lonely with you,” she offered in a whisper.

Neji’s mouth pulled into a small, brief smile. “I’m never lonely when I’m with you,” he replied, and kissed her again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Sex!

**-vi** **-**

Hinata, a woman of her word, followed up with Tian the next day to set up a lunch later during the week. Neji was leaving on his business trip on Wednesday and wouldn’t be back until late Saturday.

On Sunday evening, as she and Neji worked from opposite ends of his couch, Tian asked, “Do you think Hinata likes me?”

Neji looked up from his computer screen, considering her thoughtfully. “Why do you ask?”

Tian hummed, searching for an answer. “I want her to like me. She’s like your sister.”

“Hinata likes everyone,” Neji replied, glancing back to his work.

Itching with curiosity to see what he was working on, Tenten crawled over to sit next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Neji was drafting an email to one of his contractors; he paused typing as Tenten curled her fingers into his hair. “That’s very distracting,” he murmured, unbothered.

Tenten smiled, turning her lips to the hollow his throat as she said, “You know, that doesn’t make me feel any better. If I didn’t make a good impression—”

Neji closed the laptop and sank back into the couch, nestling her against him. “You made a good impression. Hinata would tell me if she didn’t like you.”

Tenten slid her arms around his neck, her face inches from his own as she considered this. “Is she really that honest with you? About everything?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?” Neji replied, running a hand through her bangs. “I’m her older brother. She’s supposed to trust me.”

“You’ve never steered her wrong before? I assume she didn’t listen to you where Naruto was concerned.”

Neji’s mouth slanted into a frown. “What she said the other day, about me not liking Naruto—that wasn’t true. She was upset with me still for not helping her with something.”

Tenten’s curiosity spiked; she shifted to straddle him, cradling his head in her hands. “Why did you upset her? Can’t you see she’s stressed as it is with the wedding, and whatever your uncle’s issues are with her decisions?”

Neji stared at her for a moment thoughtfully, eventually raising his eyebrows in mild surprise. “You . . . were really paying attention, weren’t you?”

Tenten stayed silent, preoccupying herself by pressing light kisses to Neji’s forehead and cheeks. Neji sighed, holding her tighter to him. He said tiredly, “Hinata’s known Naruto a long time. When they started dating . . . it was a surprise to the entire family. Naruto had just gotten out of some debt—some sketchy business with one of his friends. We all wondered if he was only dating Hinata because of her net worth.” Neji shook his head. “My uncle and other members of my family haven’t yet let go completely of their skepticism.”

“But he really loves her, doesn’t he?” Tenten asked, leaning back to meet Neji’s eyes again.

Neji nodded, not a trace of doubt in his expression. “He does.”

_Then why are the Hyuga’s still suspicious?_ Tenten wondered. Aloud, she said, “What was she angry with you about then?”

“She wanted me to get Naruto a job at the company. And I didn’t.”

Tenten’s brows furrowed. “Why?”

“She wants him to be successful—but when I talked to Naruto, he wasn’t interested.” Neji smiled up at her, running a hand across her cheek. “I never thought you would find this company business interesting. What was it that you said about me the other day—that I’m boring?”

Tenten sighed inwardly, reprimanding herself for her insistence. Pushing it aside, she smiled back, placing her lips onto his. “I clearly had no idea what I was talking about.”

**-x-**

“Neji?”

Neji looked away from the conference room’s window, his hearing coming back to him all at once. _Stop daydreaming_ , he told himself firmly, catching his uncle’s hardened glare.

“Were you paying attention?” Hiashi asked, ignoring the board members sitting across from them.

Neji reddened with embarrassment. “Yes,” he lied, clenching his jaw.

Clearly not believing him, Hiashi grunted, unimpressed, and waved his hand to continue the conversation. Darting a look towards Neji, the board member continued, “It’s not a problem yet, but of course we should be thinking about the future of the company in the next decade. This is a small country with limited resources and land. Expanding to different cities could be a benefit.”

“Or an unmitigated hassle,” Hiashi said under his breath.

The board member pretended not to hear him. Neji pursed his lips in disapproval. As he went on to point out the positive points of his proposal, Neji’s thoughts wandered away again to Tian. There was something about her that he couldn’t quite uncover—an unusual sentiment, since she seemed to be an open book.

Neji thought back to the other day, when they’d slept together the first time. A small smile emerged on his lips. While they were in public, Tian seemed so reserved and quiet, careful with her words and unfailingly polite in her character. But when they were alone—it was as if all her reservations fell to unveil a compelling intensity that hid in the recesses of her brown eyes.

Almost all their physical interactions leading up to their intimacy had left Neji feeling apprehensive and uncertain. But that night and every night since, all he had felt was relief in her arms.

Neji reached for his phone, wondering if she could meet him for coffee this afternoon—just so he could see her.

“Mr. Hyuga, what are your thoughts?”

Neji’s hand stilled over the phone in his pocket, as he glanced up at the members staring at him expectantly. Sighing, Neji let go of his phone and gave his opinion, avoiding his uncle’s piercing gaze.

**-x-**

“That contractor you called earlier is on the line for you.”

Neji glanced away from the window to look at his assistant. He asked, lost in thought, “Moegi, what would be a gift that says, ‘I enjoy spending time with you’, but isn’t . . . overwrought?”

Moegi raised her eyebrows at her boss in surprise. A slow smile spread across her face as she considered his question, stepping further into the room. “Is this for a certain lady who you spilled coffee on a few months ago? The same mysterious lady you’ve been taking out to dinner every week?”

Neji rolled his eyes. “Just answer the question.”

Moegi hummed, tapping a finger to her chin in consideration. “Shouldn’t you know what kind of gifts she likes by now? Are you paying attention when she’s talking to you, Mr. Hyuga?”

Neji shot her a baleful look, tight-lipped. Moegi sighed, giving up her teasing. “Well, you can never go wrong with flowers. It’s pretty generic, but you could still make a statement,” Moegi mused. In a stroke of inspiration, she held up a finger and said, “What about roses?”

Neji winced. “Isn’t that saying too much?” he replied, uncomfortable.

Moegi sighed, shaking her head. “Where’s your romance, Mr. Hyuga? I’m sure she’d go crazy over them.”

“I don’t want her to go crazy,” Neji said firmly. “I want to say . . . that I appreciate her company.”

Moegi groaned. “You’re hopeless, sir,” she said over her shoulder, slipping back out of his office. “Don’t forget that contractor on the line.”  
  


**-x-**

On Wednesday morning, as Tenten was slipping out her front door to meet Neji for coffee before he left for his trip, she knocked over a small object in her doorway.

“Dammit,” she cursed, stooping to pick it up. In her hands was a vase of clustered white chrysanthemums. Tenten stared at them, confused, as she reached for the attached card. The note said nothing other than who it was from: _N. Hyuga_.

Tenten looked back to the blossoms, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She glanced at her watch for the time and cursed again, setting the vase down again by her front door, planning to come back for them later.

As she descended the building’s stairwell, her bewilderment increased. Neji Hyuga wasn’t really the type of person to send flowers, was he? Had she pegged him wrong?

Tenten burst out onto the sidewalk, shaking her head. “What the fuck?” she said under breath, mystified.

**-x-**

“Thank you for the flowers,” Tian murmured in Neji’s ear as she hugged him in greeting, pressing a small, chaste kiss on his cheek. She pulled back to see a blush creep up Neji’s face.

He cleared his throat and sat down. Tian reached happily for her coffee cup, her eyes dancing a little as she looked at him over the rim.

Neji seemed uncomfortable; he immediately reached for his newspaper and began reading, avoiding her gaze. Tenten tilted her head, studying him discreetly. _Is my response not what he wanted?_ she pondered. She thought through their last few nights, wondering if Tian had somehow implied she wanted a more concrete display of devotion. She came up short—she could think of no such instance.

Leaning forward, Tenten took a chance, curious as to where this idea had originated. “Neji, I appreciated the flowers, but. . .”

Neji looked up, his face alert. “But?” he prompted, his finger beginning to anxiously tap the tabletop.

Tenten paused, taking a sip of her coffee, gazing at him. “Well . . . I’m not really a flowers girl.”

Neji gazed at her for a moment, before sitting back in his chair, tilting his head in consideration. “Is that so?”

Tenten nodded, trying to place his expression. Tian shrugged, shifting her coffee cup in her hands. “It’s not that I don’t find flowers nice or beautiful. . .” she said slowly. “I just think there are other ways to show affection.”

“Like?” Neji asked, the tension slipping away from his features.

_Fucking_ , Tenten thought, staring at him. Tian shrugged again, noncommittal. She smiled bashfully. “I like spending time with you, Neji Hyuga. That’s enough for me.”

She glanced away but watched him from the corner of her eye. Neji’s mouth was fighting a smile; he looked back down at his newspaper, but his eyes stayed in one spot.

Tenten smiled to herself and drained the last of her coffee cup. “How long do you have before you have to leave for your trip?” she asked nonchalantly.

Neji glanced at his watch. “My train leaves at three, so I have a few hours to kill.”

“Do you have to go back to the office?”

Neji looked up, his eyes narrowing. Tenten’s lips pursed with mischief.

**-x-**

Neji eased her onto her back and leaned over her, stretching her arms above her head. His lips trailed from her collarbone to her earlobe, then finally her mouth.

Tenten sighed contentedly, flexing her hands. “Do you have to leave this afternoon?” she muttered.

Neji released a small chuckle, sitting back on his heels to consider her seriously. He began undoing his shirt buttons. Tenten held his gaze and reached up, unbuttoning her blouse. She shrugged out of it and cast it onto the floor, watching Neji as he studied her.

“Did you wear this for me?” he asked softly, referring to the black lace bra she was wearing. The fabric was alluringly thin.

“No,” Tenten said with a smile.

Neji’s lips twitched and he bent down to kiss her again. He left a path of kisses down her throat, his fingers grazing her skin—her fingertips, the inside of her elbow, the curve of her shoulder, the length of her thigh.

Tenten grasped him by the back of the neck and kissed him hard on the mouth before pushing him onto his back. She deftly undid his pants and hovered over him, letting her tongue run the length of him. Neji exhaled, long and slow. _God, even the sound of his breathing turns me on_ , Tenten thought, head spinning.

She varied her movement, taking note of what made Neji moan or grip her hair or move insistently beneath her. Tenten waited until he was doing all three simultaneously, feeling the urgency in her veins. And then she slid onto him, touching the corner of his mouth with a smirk.

**-x-**

As they lay intertwined underneath Neji’s sheets, Tian said, “I don’t know if I want to be a translator anymore.”

Neji considered this, running his fingers through her hair. After a moment, he said, “I thought you liked your job.”

“I do,” Tian said. “But sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t try something else. . . To see what that would be like.”

Neji moved his hand from her hair to the slope of her back, resting his fingers on her spine. “A change of scenery,” he said.

“Exactly,” said Tian. Tenten slid her arms around his neck, drawing him closer to her. She kissed him languidly, playfully nipping his bottom lip. “Maybe I should try being a secretary. Are there any openings at Hyuga Development?”

Neji’s eyes moved from her mouth to past her, staring out the window. In a restrained tone he said, “I don’t think it would be a good idea if we worked together.”

Tenten tried not to let her bewilderment show. Tian hummed, playing with a strand of Neji’s hair. “Oh?”

Neji’s jaw tightened. “I wouldn’t want to resign you to a fate I myself don’t like.”

“Neji, you’ve never seemed like you _hated_ your job. Is it really that bad?”

Neji’s eyes followed his hand as he spread his fingers over Tenten’s bicep, contemplative. “My uncle and I don’t have a sparkling relationship,” he admitted, forehead furrowing.

Tenten tamped down her excitement at this mention, keeping her breathing steady. “What do you mean?”

Neji shook his head, saying, “We’re not compatible. We have conflicting ideas for what works for the business. He prefers an all-in aggressive approach, while I would rather research then come up with a strategy.”

Tenten curled a hand behind Neji’s neck, looking up at him thoughtfully. “Sounds . . . combative.”

“Something like that.”

“Why do you keep working there then?” she asked.

Neji sighed. “You could say I’m too loyal for my own good,” he smiled wryly, his eyes teasing.

Tenten smiled back and said seriously, “What’s the real reason?”

Neji considered her. “You’re not easily diverted, are you?”

Tenten said nothing, waiting for his answer. Neji shifted onto his stomach, pushing Tenten onto her back. He stared down into her eyes as he brushed hair back from her forehead. _Fine, don’t tell me then_ , she thought, only mildly irritated.

“You know, you’re different when we’re alone like this,” he said with a smile.

She raised her eyebrows, trying to suppress her alarm. She tilted her head in a confused gesture. “Am I?”

Neji nodded, bending down to trail his lips along her collarbone. “More . . . emphatic.” He smirked, eyeing her. “I like it.”

Tenten swallowed, stretching to capture his lips with hers. _Stop acting like this_ , she told herself sharply, fingers winding into Neji’s hair.

But Tian would never be a match for Tenten, when she had something she wanted. And Neji Hyuga was definitely the thing that Tenten wanted most in this moment.

Tenten traced a finger along his cheekbone. Neji released a small smile, angling his face into her touch. Tenten smiled back and pushed Tian to the back of her mind, taking pleasure in every look and caress and word Neji bestowed.

**-x-**

For lunch on Thursday, Tenten met Hinata at a small bistro a few blocks away from Neji’s office. Hinata was already waiting when Tian stepped inside.

“Sorry I’m late,” Tian said with a small smile, sitting across from her.

“You’re not,” Hinata reassured hurriedly. “I just got here myself.”

The two fell into a companionable silence as they consulted their menus. After they ordered, Hinata leaned closer and said, flushing prettily, “Thank you so much for meeting me this week. I’m not sure if Neji mentioned it, but he and I are in the middle of a disagreement.”

Interest piqued at this omission, Tenten smiled sweetly. “He didn’t mention it, but I could tell something was going on. What did you disagree about, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Hinata shook her head in embarrassment, sipping from her water glass. “Oh, it’s ridiculous sibling stuff. Do you have brothers or sisters?”

“No,” Tian said firmly. “I’m an only child.”

“Well, to be honest, our argument probably wouldn’t even make sense. . . You know, Neji and I used to not get along at all. We were awful to each other in our middle school days.”

Tian smiled. “How did you become close?”

Hinata glanced around the room in thought—a tic that she shared with Neji, Tenten noted. “Honestly, I think we were both immature. Neji was always smarter than me—he got all the academic accolades at our school. But—I needed a lot of extra help. One day he overheard my father yelling at me for making a bad grade and offered to help me. We’ve been much nicer to each other since then.”

Tenten latched onto her explanation. “Are you close with your father?”

Hinata smiled, her lips touched with bitterness. “Close is probably too generous a term. He’s my father—I love him very much. But he can be demanding sometimes; it’s in his nature.” Hinata shook her head, her expression brightening. “Are you close with your parents? I’m sorry I don’t know this already—Neji didn’t even tell me had a girlfriend until a few weeks ago, right before we met for brunch!”

Tenten filed this away, pushing away the sting to her ego. Their conversation flowed easily as Hinata continued to ask questions about Tian’s background, and Tian gave polite answers, prodding gently for information from Hinata.

Halfway through lunch, Hinata got up to use the restroom. Tenten’s hand wandered instinctively to her phone.

Neji had texted: **_What are you doing?_** Smiling, Tenten replied with a quick message of how she was having lunch with Hinata.

Tenten was surprised when Neji responded not a moment later: **_I wish I was there_.** Tenten raised an eyebrow, smirking. _Is he bored or does he miss me?_ she wondered.

She sent back another text, a short one about how she wished he was with her. She glanced around the restaurant swiftly, not wanting Hinata to catch her texting.

Neji’s next response was even faster than his last: **_When I get back, I want you all to myself._**

Tenten blushed and stowed her phone away, just in time as Hinata re-emerged.

**-x-**

The rest of their lunch was spent discussing Hinata’s upcoming wedding. Tenten learned that Hinata had met Naruto Uzumaki through a mutual friend almost seven years ago, at a charity event.

“I had an immediate crush on him,” Hinata divulged, her cheeks reddening. “But he was so clueless, he didn’t even notice.”

Tenten smiled. “When did he finally realize?”

“Two years ago.” Hinata laughed, joy lighting up her face. “We were at another charity event and happened to be sitting at the same table. We started talking about something—charity donations I think—and . . . it all fell into place after that.” She shrugged happily, unable to stop the grin on her face from spreading.

“That’s really sweet,” Tian gushed, smiling at her.

Hinata beamed at her and leaned forward, saying in a confidential tone, “I’m very happy about you and Neji. He’s a lonely person. I’m glad he found you.”

Tian nodded and murmured her thanks. A little later, as they left the lunch spot, Tenten couldn’t stop her thoughts from combing over Hinata’s words.

**-x-**

“What kind of business trip did Hyuga go on?”

Tenten sighed, dropping her things onto the floor as she entered her apartment later that afternoon. “He didn’t say exactly,” she muttered to Konan. “But I assume it had something to do with new properties.”

Konan sighed heavily. “Have you learned anything _new_ in the last few weeks?”

“I’ve learned a lot!” Tenten defended. “You said to ingratiate myself with the Hyuga—that’s what I’ve been doing!”

“Yes, your brunches, I’m sure, are very enlightening.”

Tenten absently pressed her knuckles into the wall by her front door, frustrated. “What do you want, Konan? For me to ask them all point blank for their bank account numbers? Steal the keys to his office and fuck around on his computer?”

Konan cleared her throat, her impatience evident as she said, “You still have yet to explain to me why you haven’t cracked his work laptop yet. Something tells me that you’ve been ignoring my directives.”

“He doesn’t keep it at the apartment all the time,” Tenten lied, closing her eyes.

“Fine,” Konan said in a clipped tone. “Then what of Hiashi Hyuga? What have you learned about him?”

Tenten chewed on the edge of her thumbnail, mulling over the information she’d gathered. “He doesn’t seem to have a good relationship with his children, or with Neji. He dislikes the heiress’ fiancé—I think he suspects he’s exploiting the relationship for her money.”

Konan went silent, perhaps scrawling out Tenten’s report for her personal notes. “Anything else?” she said after a moment.

_You mean besides the fact that Neji Hyuga keeps fucking distracting me?_ Tenten thought. Aloud, she replied, “No. That’s all I know.”

“I want more, Tenten,” Konan said, and promptly hung up.

**-x-**

**_I’m back._ **

Tenten jumped up from her futon and flew to her front door, hurriedly putting on her shoes. As she descended the stairwell of her building, she sent Neji a quick reply: **_Want me to come by? Or are you too tired?_**

She was halfway down her block when he messaged, **_I would like to see you. If you’re not busy._**

Tenten grinned and raced to the nearest train depot.

It took her all of fifteen minutes to reach Neji’s apartment. Calming her breathing, she slowly paced to his front door, her body stinging with excitement. She knocked, and the door swung open to reveal Neji, in the middle of pulling on his shoes. He looked at her in surprise. “I was just coming to pick you up,” he said.

Tenten shrugged, grinning as she crossed the threshold. “I was in the neighborhood,” she murmured, embracing him.

Neji lifted her up into his arms, holding the back of her neck as he slowly kissed her. Tenten relaxed into him, winding her arms around his neck. He moved carefully through his apartment, pushing open his bedroom door with his foot and laying her down onto his bed.

Tenten couldn’t resist pulling him down beside her. She pushed him onto his back and leaned over him, a wicked grin on her lips as she unbuttoned his pants.

“Welcome home,” she murmured and slid her mouth onto him, smiling.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: More sexy stuff!

**-vii** **-**

The week after Neji returned from his business trip, Hinata reminded Neji that he still owed her a visit from the night he’d had a date with Tian. So, begrudgingly, that Wednesday, Neji made his way over to the Hyuga residence.

He’d decided against bringing Tian—she’d had some work she’d needed to finish up, and honestly, Neji wasn’t quite ready to share her with everyone yet.

The formal Hyuga dining room was traditional—complete with tatami and a long, short-legged table. When Neji arrived, his uncle was already seated next to Hinata. He glanced up as Neji entered and then quickly looked away, his face tightening.

Neji exhaled under his breath and sat down next to Hanabi, texting away on her phone.

“I had fish made especially for Father,” Hinata began cheerily. She eyed Neji meaningfully, “For his new diet.”

Hiashi grumbled and gestured impatiently for Hinata to serve. A smile frozen onto her mouth, Hinata reached for the bowl of rice and served her father, saying lightly, “So, Neji, I was thinking about asking Tian to come along dress shopping this weekend.”

Neji glanced up sharply. Hiashi caught his look, an eyebrow raised. “Who are you talking about?” he asked Hinata.

Hinata placed some rice on her plate and answered, “Neji’s girlfriend.”

Neji set down his chopsticks, shooting Hinata a look of displeasure. She frowned, confused.

“A girlfriend?” Hiashi said, looking to his nephew. “Who?”

Hinata answered for him, questioning Neji’s intense glare, “Her name is Tian. She’s very nice—I met her for lunch last week, while Neji was on his business trip.”

Neji fought the urge to say something unkind. Hiashi considered this, slowly dipping his fish in the sauce. Hanabi ignored the three of them, eyes trained on her phone screen. Finally, Hiashi said, “What’s wrong with her?”

Neji flinched, jaw clenching. “Nothing,” he said, insulted.

Hinata frowned and interjected, “She’s really sweet, Father. Why would you assume—”

Hiashi looked at her sharply. “Why else would he keep it a secret?”

“You don’t have to speak about me like I’m not here,” Neji said.

Hinata spread her hands out in a calming gesture. “Father, he’s not keeping it a secret—”

“How long?” Hiashi interrupted again, glancing at Neji.

Neji pressed his lips together, not wanting to answer. As the silence between them stretched on, Hinata softly answered, “Several months, right, Neji?”

Hiashi raised his eyebrows. “And this is the first I’m hearing of it? You either care very little about her or too much.”

Neji pressed his fists into his thighs underneath the table. Heatedly, he said in a quick tone, “Her name is Tian; she’s a freelance translator. Her family lives far away. . .” He trailed off, at a loss for what to say next.

Hiashi eyed him, assembling a bite of rice with his chopsticks. “That’s all? Months of dating and that’s it?” Hiashi shook his head. “No wonder you’ve been so distracted in our meetings. You should focus more on the company, rather than your girlfriend—things fall through the cracks when you don’t pay attention.”

“If you think for one moment that I’m not carrying your entire company on my shoulders, then you’re seriously misguided,” Neji said darkly. Without another word, he got to his feet and walked out of the room. Behind him, Neji heard Hanabi say in a confused and detached voice, “What’s going on?”

**-x-**

Hinata called Neji as he walked into his apartment. He answered the call but said nothing, waiting for his cousin to fill in the silence.

In a rushed breath, Hinata said, “Neji, I’m sorry. I didn’t know Father would act like that.”

Neji snorted. “You don’t have to make excuses for him, Hinata.”

“Neji, Father didn’t mean what he said. He knows how hard you work.”

“Doesn’t sound like he does,” Neji replied crisply, sitting on the edge of his couch.

“He does,” Hinata maintained. “He’s just . . . grumpy. You know he hasn’t been feeling well lately.”

Neji shook his head, staring out his living room window. “That’s not a good excuse.”

“I know,” Hinata sighed. “I’m sorry I brought up Tian—I thought it would be a nice conversation.”

Neji exhaled slowly. “It’s not your fault,” he said. “Though I’d appreciate it if you stopped sharing my private business without asking me first.”

Hinata hummed, cowed. “You’re right. I only mention it at all because I’m happy for you.”

Neji gave a noncommittal grunt, standing to walk over to the window.

“Can I please invite her to go shopping?”

Neji frowned, wrapping an arm around a couch cushion. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Why not? She’d love it.”

Neji wasn’t so sure. “I don’t want to give her the wrong impression.”

Hinata sighed loudly. “Neji, you’re overthinking things. People go shopping for wedding dresses all the time for fun.”

Neji thought of Tian in a white dress. His mouth pulled to the side in uncertainty. “I don’t—”

“Neji,” Hinata began sternly, “I’m very perceptive. I don’t think it would make her uneasy. Besides, she’s my friend now, too. And you owe me a favor, since you were unable to convince Naruto to take a position at the company.”

Neji rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he released, sighing.

“Thank you. By the way, I expected you to already do this, but will you bring her to the engagement party too? I think if Father met her, he’d apologize—”

“When has Uncle ever apologized to me about anything?”

“Give him a chance, Neji. With the new diet and the stress from work and the doctor saying he’s in mortal danger, you can afford to give Father the benefit of the doubt for once.”

Neji said nothing, wrestling with the offense and his uncle’s frailty. “I’ll be civil,” Neji finally responded.

“Good enough,” Hinata said breezily and hung up.

**-x-**

Tenten had never been in a bridal shop before. The pure, overwhelming shades of white, cream, and pearl made her eyes burn with their brightness.

When Hinata had asked if Tian wanted to come along to dress shop, Tenten had inwardly cringed, unwilling to intrude on something so special. However, as Tian, she had had no choice but to readily accept, willing to go along with anything. She was somewhat regretting her decision now.

In addition to Tian, Hinata had brought along her younger sister, Hanabi—a dark-haired, strict-seeming woman of twenty-one, and one of her closest friends, Sakura Haruno—a young but strong-willed doctor at a local hospital.

Tenten meandered through the aisles of dresses, fingering lace sleeves and crinoline underskirts and silk ribbons as she eavesdropped carefully on Hinata’s conversation. Apparently, the wedding dress had been the one thing that had not gone to plan at all—primarily because Hinata was expecting nothing short of a heavenly light to shine upon her when she put on the right dress.

When Tenten had told Neji the news of her joining his cousin on this venture, he’d done little more than empathize. Apparently Hinata had dragged him to two bridal stores before he’d absolutely refused to attend any more. Admittedly, Tenten had flushed imagining Neji among all these white dresses; the image of it jarred her.

Sighing, Tenten forced herself to rejoin the group, pushing a bright smile onto Tian’s face. “Ooh,” she said as she studied Hinata, taking a seat beside Sakura, “that one’s pretty.”

Hinata turned her back to the mirrors to face them. She was wearing a high-necked dress with long lacy sleeves. Hinata touched her engagement ring self-consciously. “Do you think so, Tian?” she asked in an uncertain tone.

Tian nodded eagerly. Next to her, Sakura smiled. Hanabi, sitting in a comfy-looking chair, said in a droll tone, “It’s not very spring-y.”

Hinata tilted her head at her sister, glancing down at the dress’s lace overlay. “It’s too much?” Hinata asked, her gaze darting to Tian and Sakura for a second opinion.

Sakura straightened, her green eyes scanning the dress with a doctor’s precision. “Well, it’s not _un_ seasonable. The sleeves are long, which is better for winter. But the lace is gorgeous.”

Hinata turned back to the mirror, her mouth pulling to the side in doubt. “It’s too much for a spring wedding,” she decided after a moment, her hand lingering on the lace sleeve. She stepped back toward the dressing room.

Tenten frowned; clearly, Hinata liked the dress—shouldn’t she just buy it?

As Hinata shut the dressing room door, Sakura turned to Tian and said cordially, “So, Tian, how long have you and Neji been together?”

Tenten quickly did the math in her head. She smiled, ignoring the careful way Hanabi was studying her, “About four months. We met in a coffee shop.”

Sakura smiled, genuinely charmed. “That’s so sweet.”

From her chair, Hanabi muttered, “Didn’t he spill coffee all over you?”

Inwardly, Tenten smirked. _You mean, didn’t I **make** him spill coffee all over me?_ “I guess I’ve missed my chance to sue him for personal injury.”

Sakura smiled at this comment; Hanabi frowned. Sakura continued, darting a glance to Hinata’s closed dressing room door, “Hinata said that she was completely surprised when he told her he was dating. It was like it happened out of the blue!”

Tenten cringed. But Sakura went on, unconcerned, “I think it’s great that you’re together. Get Neji out of his head a little.”

Tenten was unsure how successful she’d been at that yet. She opened her mouth to further question how long Sakura had known Hinata and Neji, but at that moment, Hinata re-emerged in a cream sheath dress with small lace appliques. Silence fell among the four of them as they considered the dress.

Finally, in her characteristically critical tone, Hanabi stated, “Your boobs look huge.”

Hinata turned a shade of red Tenten doubted she’d ever seen before. Sakura blanched, shooting Hanabi a stern look.

“No, they don’t,” Sakura assuaged, getting to her feet to study the dress more closely.

Tears had welled in Hinata’s big eyes, and Tenten felt bad. Hinata’s stress over finding the right dress was apparent and considering the number of bridal stores she’d been to in the last few months, it was no wonder she was on the verge of a meltdown.

Tenten got to her feet and walked over to Hinata, taking her firmly by the arm. “Hinata, what kind of dress do _you_ want?” she asked firmly.

Hinata sniffed, lifting a hand to her eyes to stem the flow. “I’ve tried on so many dresses I’m not sure anymore. I want to feel something when I see myself in the mirror—not just critique how my body looks in it, or if it’s flattering, or the right color or length or cut.”

“You’re overthinking it,” Tenten replied bluntly. “The only thing you should be thinking about when you’re trying on all these dresses is how it feels when you’re in it, and envisioning walking down the aisle towards Naruto. Turn off that part of your brain that’s saying you don’t look good—you’ll look amazing no matter what dress you choose. You don’t need a sign to tell you which one is the right one—it’s like when you met Naruto, you just knew, right? Same with this—whatever dress you choose will be the one you’re meant to wear.”

Hinata stared at Tenten for a long moment, before nodding once, a new resolve passing over her face. She stepped back into the dressing room.

With a heavy exhale, Tenten sat back down, pretending she didn’t see the way that Sakura and Hanabi were glancing at her. _That was a little much_ , she told herself.

Hinata proceeded from the dressing room again. Next to Tenten, Sakura let out a small gasp. Hinata moved slowly to stand in front of the mirror to consider her reflection. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder ballgown, detailed with whorls of lace at the bottom. Hinata tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, studying herself for a long moment before turning to her guests.

“How do you feel?” Tenten asked her.

Hinata glanced back at the mirror. She smiled at her reflection, a rosy flush of pleasure dusting her cheeks. “I feel like my search is over,” she replied.

**-x-**

“I suppose I have you to thank for ending Hinata’s dress search.”

Tenten tried not to smile, stepping into Neji’s shower. She undressed quickly, carelessly throwing her clothes out onto the floor as she turned on the water.

A few seconds later, she heard the door open; Tenten smirked, wondering if he’d been waiting to enter until he heard the water start.

“She was overthinking it,” Tenten replied, slowly rotating under the showerhead.

“You’ve done a great service to the Hyuga clan today,” Neji went on.

Tenten rolled her eyes at the sarcasm in his voice. “Compliments are nice and all, Neji, but I would much rather enjoy my shower in peace.”

“Something tells me that you’re only continuing to date me because of my shower.”

Tenten smirked. “Maybe I am,” she hummed, shaking out her hair.

She heard movement on the other side of the shower door, Neji’s form blurry. Tenten closed her eyes, letting the water douse her scalp. When she opened them again, Neji was pushing open the shower door, eyes determined.

Neji pressed her against the shower wall, angling her jaw up as he kissed her deeply. Tenten sighed, fisting her hands into his quickly dampening hair as she fiercely kissed him back. She pushed him into the cascade of water, shivering from the heat between them.

Tenten took his face in her hands and stared up at him, wiping the water from his eyelashes. Neji smiled at her, and grasped the back of her neck, kissing her slower this time, with more tenderness.

“Want me to wash your hair?” Tenten whispered, itching to touch every inch of him.

Neji didn’t refuse, though Tenten believed him too preoccupied with letting his fingertips roam over her wet skin to notice. She grasped the shampoo bottle and squirted out a small amount into her palm. Slowly, she massaged the shampoo into Neji’s scalp, keeping her body pressed against his. When she was done, she pushed him underneath the water again, running her fingers through his hair to make sure the suds were rinsed out.

She reached for Neji’s soap, but he plucked it from her hands, lathering it himself. Methodically, he rubbed the soap over her body, gently letting his fingertips graze across her sudsy skin. Dizzy, Tenten leaned back against the tiled shower wall, leisurely kissing him as he caressed her.

When their fingertips wrinkled, Neji lifted Tenten into his arms. She reached out and shut off the water, not letting her lips leave his for a second until they laid down on his bed. Her skin prickled. “You don’t care that we’re soaking wet?” she murmured to him as he hovered over her, eyes hooded.

He shook his head.

“We could catch cold,” Tenten continued, stretching her hand up to push back the wet hair spilling past his shoulders.

Neji leaned down, pressing his mouth to the hollow of her throat, where a small puddle of water had gathered. “I don’t think that’s possible with us.”

Tenten couldn’t help but agree on that—she was absolutely melting inside.

**-x-**

Later, they quietly gazed at each other, almost dry. Tenten ran her hand back and forth over Neji’s chest, reaching up to lightly touch his forehead, his cheeks, his nose. Neji trailed his fingers across the expanse of her stomach, thinking.

“I haven’t had anything like this before,” Neji finally murmured, eyes half-closed as he studied her.

Tenten released a small smirk, smoothing her hand across his bicep. “You mean, a girlfriend?” she replied softly, watching the movement of her fingers on his skin.

Neji rolled his eyes, lifting his hand to run his fingers through her hair. After a moment, he said, “I’ve had girlfriends. But . . . I was never sure about any of them. I would go out on dates and wonder why I was even there.”

Tenten mused over this as she recalled their first few dates. She glanced at him, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. “Is that why you were so hesitant when we started dating?”

Neji winced, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “I was hoping you hadn’t picked up on that.”

Tenten shook her head, leaning down to press a soft kiss on his mouth. “I’m very observant, Neji Hyuga.”

“If you noticed, why did you keep saying yes?” Neji asked.

Tenten shifted onto her side, sliding her hand over his waist. She half-shrugged. “Why did you keep asking, if you weren’t sure?” she retorted.

Neji traced her spine, leaning down to place his lips against her neck. He answered, his breath stirring across her skin, “You became more intriguing to me.”

Tenten pushed her forehead into his chest, thinking. “When?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

Neji tapped his fingertips against the small of her back. “After you took me to the museum.”

 _Stop_ , Tenten told herself firmly. “I liked taking you there. I liked hearing your stories—about you and your father. I like hearing anything you have to say,” she whispered aloud. She angled her head to kiss the hollow of Neji’s throat. _STOP._

Neji sighed in contentment, tightening his grip around her. “This is more than what I thought it would be,” he murmured into her ear.

Shoving away the warnings echoing in her thoughts, Tenten wound her arms around his neck. “It gets better the further you go,” she muttered, and caught his lips with her own. They seeped back into silence, letting their fingers continue the rest of the conversation.

**-x-**

A week later, Tenten was walking home from a convenience store when a black car pulled up beside her. Tenten stared at her reflection in the car window and sighed. She reached out and opened the door, slipping inside.

Konan, though her expression was placid, was unhappy. Tenten tensed, feeling her guard go up.

“You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with Neji Hyuga,” Konan began, lacing her fingers in her lap as she stared at Tenten.

“Well, he is the assignment,” Tenten shrugged off.

“Neji Hyuga isn’t the assignment, Tenten. His uncle is. The company is.”

Tenten gritted her teeth. “Neji Hyuga is the way into both of those things—you told me that when you gave me this assignment.”

Konan shook her head slightly. “Tenten, he’s not your boyfriend. He’s a mark.”

Tenten glared at Konan coldly. “I know that.”

Konan raised her thin eyebrows. “Do you? It doesn’t seem like it.”

Tenten clenched her jaw, too offended to answer. Konan consulted her phone for a moment, then lifted it, showing Tenten the screen. “The footage isn’t in your favor, and neither is the intel. If you don’t get back on track, I’ll have no choice but to pull you.”

“Trust isn’t built overnight, Konan,” Tenten replied waspishly, ignoring the video play of she and Neji making out in his building hallway. “He told me last night that I’m the first real relationship he’s had—how do you not think that’s progress?”

Konan exhaled in displeasure. “Tenten, I only care about two things: Hiashi Hyuga’s weaknesses and the company’s collective assets. Not the sweet nothings that Neji Hyuga whispers in your ear.”

Tenten’s face flamed. She crossed her arms and looked out the car window.

“Next time we speak, I expect some real information,” Konan said.

Taking that as her dismissal, Tenten got out of the car and slammed the door behind her.

**-x** **-**

“Konan, how is the Hyuga operation going?”

Konan consulted the notes in the brief in front of her, frowning. “Tenten has proven easily distracted on this assignment. But from what she says, the COO trusts her implicitly. The heiress is hosting her engagement party soon; Tenten will be attending, as will Hiashi Hyuga.”

There were disgruntled murmurs over this development.

“Perhaps it would be simpler to offer the Hyuga a deal for everything. It is their property we’re seeking, not only their financial holdings,” an associate suggested.

“An acquisition?”

Several of the members sitting around the table muttered. “That’s ridiculous. We never operate that straightforwardly,” said one.

“We’ve bought out companies before,” contradicted another. “And the Hyuga have enough influence and property that would help us achieve our future goals in the market. Rather than go through the additional trouble of stealing all their money, we could make a profitable purchase. It’s the same outcome, but a different method.”

Konan listened to this exchange in silence, mulling over the pros and cons. Next to her, another colleague stated, “Hiashi Hyuga is bound to have skeletons in his closet. We shouldn’t have any surprises, should we choose to change tactics.”

“Fine,” permitted their leader. “Let’s pursue this. And Kakuzu, make sure we have enough to enter serious negotiations.” He turned to Konan. “As for Tenten, perhaps we put her back in the field too soon after her house arrest was completed.”

“Let’s get rid of her, then. We have no use for people who can’t follow simple instructions,” said another of Konan’s colleagues.

Konan looked up. “No,” she said, her voice echoing around the room. Her fellow members turned to her, surprised by her interjection. Konan got to her feet and stood straight, commanding their attention. “She’s too far into the assignment to let this go now. However unruly she might be, she’s done well at positioning herself within the family. We can use her as an influence, should we choose to make an offer. We’ll just have to resort to a different strategy than we originally planned. I’ll have her access the company’s portfolio—see what dirt she can dig up.”

“This is unacceptable, Konan,” said the man at the head of the table. “Her behavior is unorthodox—what do you suggest we do to correct it?”

Konan thought for a moment, her amber eyes wandering to the wall where a large frame hung, containing headshots of active agents. A small smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth. “We remind her of her place—at the bottom of the chain.”


	8. Chapter 8

**-viii-**

Hinata Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki’s engagement party quickly became the most coveted invite of the winter season. Unfortunately for the couple, Hiashi Hyuga had decided to take this opportunity to spread the goodwill to all his business contacts. The guest list, originally set at fifty, had now exceeded well over a hundred.

Hinata quietly complained to Neji—and by extension, Tian—about it for days leading up to the event, stress weighing down her usual calm tone.

“It’s not that I don’t understand Father’s point of view,” she told Neji one evening on the phone.

Neji sighed and glanced over to Tian sitting at the other end of the couch, typing away on her laptop, headphones in her ears. “And what point of view would that be?” Neji asked, letting his eyes wander over Tian’s features.

“He’s happy for me and wants to share it with as many people he knows as possible. . . But I wish the party were smaller, like I’d originally planned.”

Neji rolled his eyes. “Hinata, Uncle is doing this for his ego. That’s it.”

“I never said his ego wasn’t part of it,” Hinata replied, exhaling. “But you can’t say he’s only doing this for the company’s reputation either.”

_Not out loud, I can’t_ , Neji thought bitterly. He shifted onto his side, reaching out with his free hand to take hold of Tian’s foot.

She glanced at him and smiled impishly.

“If it bothers you so much, why not call the whole thing off? Or better yet, tell Uncle you want him to disinvite his business partners,” Neji said, watching as Tian slowly closed her laptop and moved towards him.

“Neji, you know I couldn’t do that.”

Tian eased onto his lap, kissing him abruptly on the mouth before leaning back, beginning to undo the buttons on his shirt. Fully diverted, Neji reached up to still her hands, aware that Hinata was still on the line.

Hinata went on, “I’m sorry for calling to complain so much about it. I’m stressed, and Naruto invited that Uchiha guy—which I’m not happy with. But I’d hate to disinvite him.”

Tian pressed her lips to Neji’s throat, smiling when he swallowed. “I know you’re stressed,” Neji said, trying to stay focused. “I don’t have many solutions to offer, unfortunately.”

“That’s alright, Neji. Thank you for listening.”

Tian shot Neji a look. He reached up and grasped the back of her neck, kissing her. “I have to go, Hinata,” he muttered.

“Okay. Goodnight.”

Neji ended the call and turned his full attention to Tian, spreading his hands along her hips. “Sorry,” he said, staring at her mouth.

Tenten smiled softly, holding his head in her hands. “What’s happened now?”

Neji shook his head. “The usual Hyuga drama. Nothing worth mentioning,” he said and guided his lips to hers.

**-x-**

In short, the party was a vision. Hinata, for all her resistance to the number of guests, had risen to the occasion, renting out a large event space downtown. It was a beautiful venue—airy, with plenty of space for mingling, and came complete with stunning chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows that held a sparkling view of the city lights.

“Wow,” Tenten said as she and Neji entered the room.

Neji glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement. He reached down to hold her hand. “All that stress and this is what she came up with,” he said.

“She’s very talented. I still can’t believe she didn’t hire a party planner to handle this,” Tenten said, shaking her head.

“Who needs a party planner for an event that was originally for fifty people?”

Tenten looked around, admiring the room’s centerpiece—a large, gold colored arch that sheltered numerous pictures of Hinata and Naruto. A small pile of engagement presents was slowly building underneath it. “I can’t believe she organized this herself,” she said under her breath in awe.

Neji squeezed her hand and led her across the room, spotting Hinata and Naruto standing in the midst of a crowd, receiving well-wishes.

“Hinata, where’s Uncle?” Neji asked when they drew up to Hinata.

She turned to them, flustered. “He wasn’t feeling well. He went to go sit down for a moment.”

Neji frowned and moved a distance away, giving Naruto a short wave in greeting. “Let me go find where he is,” Neji said to Tian, casting a swift eye around the room.

Tenten laced her fingers with Neji’s. “I’ll go with you,” she said.

Neji smiled and gently untangled their hands. “Sorry—I’d rather he be rude to me first than you. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He walked away and after a quick word with a server, was led away into the thick of the guests.

Tenten sighed, reaching for a champagne flute as a tray passed by her. She took a sip, wondering what it was that was bothering Hiashi Hyuga. Was he sick? Or simply overwhelmed by the amount of people?

Everything she knew about the CEO was from Neji, Hinata, and the Internet. In public, he was an imposing figure but fair, always willing to bend an ear. However, due to her proximity to Neji and Hinata over the last few months, Tenten knew that in private Hiashi Hyuga was often insufferably short-sighted and even belligerent. She was looking forward to making her own assessment.

Mulling over her next move, Tenten almost didn’t notice the raven-haired man moving towards her through the crowd. But as soon as her eyes passed over him, Tenten felt her body seize with animosity. “What are you doing here?” Tenten hissed, clutching her glass tightly.

Sasuke Uchiha smirked, stopping in front of her. “I was invited.”

Tenten rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Uchiha. If they sent you to work with me, you can forget it. I have everything under control.”

“Konan didn’t seem to think so,” he said, his dark eyes sweeping around the room.

Tenten bit the inside of her cheek in frustration.

Another server passed by and Sasuke plucked a flute of champagne from the tray, downing it in one go. “I’m here for sentimental reasons. I’m an old friend of Naruto’s.”

“If you think I’ll believe that, you’re crazy.”

Sasuke turned his eyes onto her. “It’s true. I heard Hinata threw a fit when she found out he’d invited me.”

Tenten looked away. “Hinata doesn’t throw fits,” she answered.

“Well done, Tenten. Or should I say Tian? You may have gotten the hang of the Hyuga’s habits and mannerisms, but your knowledge means nothing compared to my experience.”

Tenten glanced at him sharply. She seethed, “So they did send you to replace me? Unbelievable.”

“You don’t have enough skin in this game, Ten. You’ve been dragging your feet ever since they gave you this assignment—flirting with the COO but refusing to crack his personal laptop? Please. You’ve gone soft. You don’t care about the consequences anymore.”

Tenten’s face burned with humiliation, remembering the footage Konan had shown her from the cameras in Neji’s building. “I have everything under control,” she repeated. “Hyuga is eating from the palm of my hand.”

“This isn’t about him. There are more pieces on this board than you’re aware of,” Sasuke said, glancing away from her to scan the crowded room.

Tenten pursed her lips. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Sasuke shrugged, shifting his dark gaze back to her. He smirked. “I’m at a loss to understand why Konan gave you this assignment. You’re clearly nothing more than a pawn.”

“Pawns protect kings.” Tenten sipped from her champagne glass, eyes wandering to find Neji, who had emerged from the crowd a few feet away.

Sasuke chuckled darkly, following Tenten’s gaze. He considered Neji, his smirk deepening with condescension. “Remember who you’re playing for, Ten.”

Tenten turned back to him, eyes narrowed.

Ignoring her glare, Sasuke continued, “Consider my presence a friendly reminder of who your allegiance is to—not the COO, not Hinata Hyuga, not even to yourself. We own you, and if you step out of line, you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

Sasuke handed her his empty glass and smirked again, studying the room. His eyes alighted again on Neji, who had spotted them. “Enjoy the party, Ten. Give Hyuga my regards, won’t you?” Sasuke walked away, drawing the eyes of guests as he disappeared into the crowd.

Neji sidled up to her not a moment later, his expression bemused. “Do you know him?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

Tian shrugged and shook her head. “Not at all. He thought I was a waiter.” She chuckled and watched the tension in Neji’s shoulders leave. She set the glasses on a nearby table and grasped his hand.

“I hope you’re ready to meet the most important person in the room,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Tenten tamped down her smile. “I think I’ve become something of an expert on Hyuga’s. Your uncle should be nervous to meet _me_.”

**-x-**

Hiashi Hyuga, despite his reputation of being an intimidating man, seemed to Tenten little more than a reserved, high-brow, bored-out-of-his-mind businessman.

“Uncle, this is my girlfriend, Tian,” Neji introduced.

Tenten reached out to shake Hiashi’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir,” Tian said shyly, glancing at Neji. “Neji’s told me so much about you.”

Hiashi shook her hand and then released it, studying her openly. “So,” he began slowly, “you’re the woman who has distracted Neji so thoroughly from staying focused at work. Color me surprised—on first impression you seem to lack a certain liveliness that would be weighty enough to disturb my nephew.”

_React like Tian_ , Tenten reminded herself, pushing down the urge to smile at his challenge. Tian faltered slightly from the barb, the corner of her mouth dipping in uncertainty.

Next to her, Neji stiffened. “Uncle, I hardly think now is the time to air your grievances.”

Hiashi flicked his eyes to Neji, and then away again, scanning the crowd. “You should be mingling with the business contacts I invited—not socializing with your girlfriend.”

Neji’s jaw tightened in anger. “These are your business associates, not mine. Besides, this isn’t a meeting; it’s Hinata’s engagement party.”

Hiashi fixed Neji with a stern glare. “How many times do I have to tell you that the future of the company is the most important thing? I’ve organized this event for you and Hinata’s benefit.”

Tenten mulled over his words carefully, confused. Neji said sharply, “Are you really going to discredit all of the stress you put Hinata through? This isn’t what she wanted at all.”

Hiashi waved his hand dismissively. “Hinata has yet to figure out her life—all of this charity work has inflated her sense of purpose. She’s meant to run the company. And it’s your duty, Neji, to make sure she does it smoothly. Now—cease with this show of romance and focus your attention on what really matters.”

Neji shook his head, eyes blazing. “You don’t care about anything or anyone,” he said with disgust.

Hiashi threw his nephew a sharp look and got to his feet. “Neji, I care more about my affairs than any kind of relationship you’ve ever had.”

Tenten raised her eyebrows, glancing at Neji as she thought of his father. His face was frozen with fury. Without another word, Hiashi strode purposefully away.

Tenten looked down—Neji’s hands were clenched tightly into fists. She placed a hand on his arm, leaning into him as she whispered in his ear, “You know, I saw a perfect two-person corner when we came in. Want to go check it out?”

**-x-**

They were halfway down to the alcove Tenten had scouted earlier, holding hands, when a dark-haired man approached from the opposite end. Tenten silently swore.

“Hyuga,” Sasuke called out, holding out his hand to shake. “I’m Sasuke Uchiha.”

“I know who you are,” Neji replied flatly, shaking his hand briefly.

Sasuke smiled roguishly. “I guess my reputation precedes me.”

Tenten felt Neji stiffen beside her. Neji responded, “Something like that.”

Sasuke’s smirk deepened, dark eyes flicking to Tenten. She glared back. “You two make a striking couple.”

Tenten forced a laugh through Tian’s mouth. “That’s nice of you to say,” she replied, holding Neji’s hand tightly. “Though I think Neji puts me to shame. He cleans up so nicely.”

“I was referring more to you,” Sasuke replied. He tilted his head at Neji, an eyebrow quirking in challenge. “What do you think? Isn’t she a perfect ten?”

Tenten clenched her jaw, wishing she could throttle him. Neji shook out of Tenten’s grip, taking a step towards Sasuke. “Are you really attempting to hit on my girlfriend in front of me, Uchiha?”

Sasuke slid his hands into his pockets, nonchalant. “Nothing’s off-limits, Hyuga.”

Neji flushed angrily. “Tian is. My family is.”

“Is she?” Sasuke asked, sounding unconvinced. “I doubt you have the balls to keep her interested.”

Neji took another step forward. Tenten seized the back of his jacket, holding fast. “Stop being an asshole,” Tenten said to Sasuke, an edge to her voice.

Sasuke, pleased with the reaction, took a few steps backward. “Nice seeing you both, Hyuga. Tian.” With a lingering smirk, he turned away from them and sauntered off down the hallway.

Neji stepped out of Tenten’s grip, his eyes glued on Sasuke’s retreating frame. Tenten watched him carefully, suppressing the rising panic in her gut.

When Sasuke finally disappeared, Neji turned to her, eyes piercing. “I thought you said you didn’t know him.”

Tenten winced, swallowing. “I—I didn’t want to get into it.”

Neji scoffed and turned on his heel, starting back the way they had come. “So, you thought lying to me would be better?”

Tenten hurried to keep stride with him, glancing at his profile. Neji was looking straight ahead, his jaw clenched. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t want to talk about him.”

“Is he an ex-boyfriend or something?” Neji asked, looking at her.

“No,” Tenten insisted. “No—we used to work together. A long time ago.”

Neji did not seem convinced by this. “A translator? Uchiha?”

Tenten pressed her lips together. _Think like Tian. Be Tian_ , she reminded herself. She said, “No, he . . . he was a client. A very annoying one.”

They reached the main room again and Neji halted in the entryway, turning to her. Anger still lined his brow, mouth tight in displeasure. “That’s all? It seemed more personal than that.”

Tenten nodded, widening her eyes to appear more trustworthy. “Neji, I swear. We worked together once on a project for his company. He’s insufferable.”

Neji stared at her for a moment, then reached out, cupping his hand around the back of her neck as he pulled her to him. He kissed her firmly, and Tenten slid her arms around his waist, feeling the stress leave her. Neji pulled away only seconds later, lifting her head to gaze into her eyes. “Don’t lie to me,” he murmured seriously.

Tenten felt her skin prickle. Wordlessly, she nodded. The tension in Neji’s face melted away and he kissed her once more, quickly, before leading her back into the party, their rendezvous in the alcove forgotten.

**-x-**

An hour later, Neji was roped into a discussion with an assemblage of Hiashi’s business invitees. _An inevitability_ , Tenten thought, watching Hiashi as he stood slightly removed, listening to his nephew. Tenten had hung back, trying to eavesdrop from a few feet away.

She was in the middle of deciphering some thread of conversation about stock prices when Naruto sidled up next to her. “Enjoying the party?” he asked, grinning kindly.

Tenten turned to him and took a sip from her champagne glass. “Trying to. Neji’s being pulled for business talk every five minutes,” Tian answered, shrugging indifferently.

Naruto glanced over to Neji, who looked profoundly bored out of his mind. “Trust me, he would much rather be talking to you than over there. But Hiashi can be . . . insistent.”

Tenten wondered if it would be too out-of-character to ask how Naruto felt about Hiashi invading he and Hinata’s engagement party. She decided against it and said instead, burning with curiosity, “I think I met your friend earlier—Sasuke Uchiha?”

Naruto smiled tightly, glancing around the room. “It’s funny—you might be the only person in this room who doesn’t know that story.”

Tenten tilted her head in consideration. “What story?” she prompted, racking her memory for all the information she had on Sasuke. But she came up short—she hadn’t even known that he and Naruto knew each other until Sasuke had mentioned it earlier.

Naruto looked back at her, pausing for a long moment before beginning, “He stole all of my money a couple of years ago, my entire inheritance from my parents and godfather. Right after Neji’s dad died, actually. It was before Hinata and I started dating.”

Tenten stared at him, letting her confusion show. “So, he isn’t your friend? Why did he do that?”

Naruto’s lips twitched into a half-smile, not quite certain. “Hard to say. Sasuke is an enigma. Our . . . friendship has always been a little complicated. But, you know how it is, with old friends—even if they do you wrong thousands of times, you still keep a small place in your heart reserved for them.”

_I wouldn’t know_ , Tenten thought to herself, her mind wandering to Neji.

Naruto shrugged, his expression shifting easily as he gazed at her. “By the way, I finally figured out where I’d seen you before.”

Tenten stilled, dread filling her chest. “Oh yeah?” Tian replied nonchalantly. “Where would that be?”

Naruto sent her a knowing look. “The club?”

_Fuck._

Naruto glanced at Neji. “Does Neji know?”

Tenten silently shook her head. Naruto smiled gently, clapping her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

He glanced around the room again, his eyes catching on his fiancée. “Well, I should get back to Hinata. See you later, Tian.”

“Bye,” Tenten replied, working to control the flush rising to her cheeks. _Naruto Uzumaki—how do you fit into all of this?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Implied sex

**-ix-**

When Konan called a couple of days later to discuss Hinata Hyuga’s engagement party, she barely was able to utter a hello before Tenten launched into her tirade, saying, “What the fuck, Konan?”

Konan sighed. “What is it now, Tenten? How did the engagement party go?”

“Why don’t you tell me, since you sent Sasuke Uchiha to keep tabs on me?”

There was a pause on Konan’s end of the line, and Tenten paced her miniscule living room in irritation. “Sasuke wasn’t there to keep tabs on you,” Konan finally said. “He was on a different assignment.”

“Bullshit,” Tenten snapped. “He as good as told me that he was there on your orders. Why did you send him? I told you that I never wanted to see his fucking face ever again after what he did to me.”

“I think you’ll recall that you made just as many mistakes as Sasuke on that last mission,” Konan quipped in a clear voice. “He was not there to report on you.”

“Fine. Then what was he there for? And why didn’t you tell me he was going to be there?”

“It wasn’t any of your concern.”

“Fuck yes, it was!” Tenten shouted. “He almost got into a fistfight with Hyuga, and he knows Naruto Uzumaki—how the hell do you think that’s not my concern?”

“What do you mean he had a confrontation with Hyuga? About what?” Konan asked quickly, her tone shifting.

Tenten fumed, glaring out the window. “He was doing what he always does. Taunting everyone for the fun of it and making everything more difficult than it has to be.”

Konan released another heavy sigh. “That is not what Sasuke was sent there to do.”

“Then why was he? No one wanted him there. And why wasn’t I told that he knew Naruto Uzumaki? That’s information I should have been given at the outset, Konan.”

“What happened between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke happened years ago. It’s ancient history, as far as Akatsuki is concerned.”

Tenten rolled her eyes. “He stole all of his money. Do you really think that’s something that could be forgotten?”

“Of course not. But it has no bearing on your ability to gather information on Hiashi Hyuga. Speaking of which,” Konan said, obviously changing topics, “I have yet to hear how the engagement party went, apart from Sasuke.”

Tenten gritted her teeth but said, “Hiashi Hyuga wasn’t feeling well. But he invited a bunch of his business contacts and made Neji speak with them.”

“Wasn’t feeling well? What was wrong with him?” Konan pressed.

“I don’t know. He seemed fine to me when I met him. Maybe he doesn’t like crowds,” Tenten said, putting forth her theory from watching him at the party.

Konan mused over this for a moment before saying, “We’ve been discussing our next move, and we think there may be a possibility of acquiring the company. We would like you to begin gathering financial records—if there’s any debt that’s gone unreported. We’re particularly interested in Hiashi Hyuga’s financial situation—if there’s anything outstanding that he owes.”

Tenten chewed on her thumbnail, wondering how she was going to access such information. “Why do you want to acquire it? I thought Akatsuki was only interested in the money,” she asked, wanting a clearer picture of their plans.

“Just do it, alright, Tenten?” Konan said, her irritation resurfacing. “And another thing—I want you to come by headquarters next week.”

“I don’t know if I can. Neji—” Tenten halted, glancing down at her phone screen as it vibrated. Neji was calling. Quickly she said, “I have to go; Hyuga’s calling.”

Konan exhaled, clearly annoyed. “Fine. Go. And I _do_ expect you to come to Akatsuki headquarters. No excuses.”

Tenten hung up without another word and rushed around her apartment, throwing on shoes and cramming things into her bag. She stepped out of her apartment, and tried to hide her frustration, pasting an embarrassed smile onto her mouth. “What are you doing up here? I thought I was meeting you downstairs,” Tenten asked, turning to pull her door closed.

“I messaged you that I was here. You didn’t answer.” Neji cast a curious eye down the dingy hallway. “This is where you live?”

Tenten locked her front door and pushed her conversation with Konan far from her mind, turning to Neji with a smile. She grasped his sleeve affectionately and said, “Yes. Is there a problem?”

“You should have your superintendent change the lights—it’s too dark. What if someone was lying in wait for you? You’d never be able to see them until it was too late.”

Tenten raised her eyebrows, amused. Her smile spreading, she pulled him closer to her, leaning back against her front door. “Neji,” she whispered, “your concern is appreciated. But this is why I carry pepper spray.” _And a gun._

Neji kissed her, muttering, “Pepper spray?”

Tenten closed her eyes, sliding her arms around his neck. She hummed in pleasure when he kissed her again, his hands resting on her hips. She teased him, lightly nipping his lower lip and pulling away when he tried to deepen their kiss.

“We should go, or we’ll miss the movie,” she whispered, pushing on his chest a little to gain space.

“I don’t care about the movie,” Neji answered. He leaned forward again, pressing her hard against the door. He held her face in his hands as he kissed her. Tenten breathed deeply through her nose, quickly growing dizzy from his intensity.

Once again, Tian’s gentility easily melted away underneath Tenten’s own wishes. She’d caught herself over the past few days yearning for him desperately, and now she was suffering from the overwhelming thrill of his skin on hers. Tenten fervently kissed him back, her hands grasping his neck. Neji squeezed her waist, and Tenten pulled herself up, wrapping her legs around his torso.

“Can I come inside?” Neji asked after a moment, his breath coming out in sharp pants as she sucked at the skin at his throat.

Tenten mumbled a yes and withdrew her keys from her pocket, shoving them into Neji’s hands to unlock the door. He opened it in a swift motion and kicked it closed behind him, carrying her inside.

“Where?” he asked breathlessly.

“Couch. Through here,” Tenten murmured, keeping her mouth at his ear.

Neji walked into the small living room and Tenten dropped from his embrace, carelessly tossing aside the couch cushions. In one swift movement, she unfolded the couch into a futon and glanced at Neji expectantly.

In the dark, she could tell he was smirking. “Is that a futon?” he asked, incredulous.

Tenten rolled her eyes and pulled him down next to her. The futon groaned unpleasantly under their weight. Ignoring it, Tenten tore off her shirt and reached down for Neji’s belt.

Neji’s hands caught her wrists, and Tenten stilled, anxious. “What?” she asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me you live in such a dump? Are you sure you aren’t a gold digger after all of my money?”

Tenten sighed loudly and wrenched free of his grip, moving to straddle him. “I don’t need your money,” she whispered, letting her hand wander down the front of his pants. “I’ve already got what I want.”

He let out a low exhale and Tenten smiled, leaning down to press a kiss on his mouth.

**-x-**

Tenten turned to look at his dozing form, trying not to feel stupid. Earlier, she’d been possessed by lust and had acted against her better judgment. She chewed on the edge of a thumbnail, trying to think clearly.

He’d seen her apartment, even though it was too dark to make out details. She would have to wake him sooner rather than later—she didn’t want to give him the opportunity to look around in daylight.

On principle, Tenten always kept her apartment spotlessly clean, with no traces of her real line of work, but what concerned her the most was the possibility of her apartment being bugged.

Periodically, Tenten would run checks for audio and visual equipment, but it wouldn’t surprise her if she’d somehow missed something. The likelihood of the hallway and stairwells of her building were expected. They would know he’d entered her apartment at the very least.

Tenten sighed and rubbed her eyes. They would see it as a breach on her part—surely, she could have come up with an excuse? Tenten mulled it over in her mind. Maybe they wouldn’t even care—she was left to her own means, who cared if she slept with a client in her personal living space? Others had done far worse.

Tenten shifted on her side and slid her hand up Neji’s chest, watching as it rose and fell with his even breathing. _You’re going to get me in trouble, Mr. Hyuga_ , she told him silently.

**-x** **-**

Konan slowly closed her laptop, cutting the video feed she was watching. Wordlessly, she got to her feet and strode from her office, carrying her laptop underneath her arm. When she reached her boss’ office, she knocked once, softly, and entered.

He was sitting at his desk, reading something from a piece of paper, but looked up when Konan drew nearer. “What is it?”

Konan unfolded her laptop and set it before him, tapping a few keys. She watched his face as the video played. His expression remained flat, save for one twitch of his eye. After studying the footage for a few moments, he paused the video and looked up at Konan, an eyebrow raised. “This is inside Tenten’s apartment, correct?”

Konan nodded once.

He sighed in disappointment. “She is no longer reliable to us. How unfortunate.”

Konan quietly gathered her computer into her arms, waiting for her boss’ determination.

He went on, shaking his head slightly, “It was a mistake to give her this assignment so soon after her arrest. We have only ourselves to blame.”

“She could still be of use to us,” Konan said. “Clearly her . . . relationship with Hyuga is strong. She could sway him to accept our offer if we prepped her for it.”

The leader frowned, seeming unconvinced. Konan continued, “Despite her faults, Tenten can be persuasive. And she has the access to them that no one else does—not even Sasuke can get that close.”

“Sasuke was never meant to get that close. He’s useful in other ways. Tenten, however, has completely crossed the line of professionalism.”

“She doesn’t know there are cameras in her apartment,” Konan pointed out.

“And you think that makes her transgression more acceptable?”

Konan shook her head, falling silent once more. He rapped his knuckles on his desk, thinking. “She’s coming here in a few days? To discuss her assignment?”

“Yes. Along with Sasuke, though I’ll be meet with him separately to discuss the heiress.”

“Fine. For now, let’s remind Tenten that her proximity is to be used for our purposes—not her own personal satisfaction.”

“Yes, sir.”

**-x-**

A few days later, as Neji was getting ready to leave for his last business trip before the holidays, he turned to Tian, lying across the couch, and said, “If you like, you can stay here while I’m gone.”

Tenten looked up from her phone, careful to control her surprise. “Are you sure?” she asked.

Neji nodded, reaching for his briefcase. “My apartment’s closer to the coffee shop than where you live. And I’d hate to make you part with my bathroom for a week.”

Tenten smiled, watching him. “Neji Hyuga, you really do know the way to a girl’s heart,” she said teasingly.

He glanced at her, lips twitching, before continuing to rifle through his bag. Tenten watched him for a long moment, then said, “How are things going to be on this trip? With your uncle?”

They hadn’t yet discussed Hiashi’s words from Hinata’s engagement party—Neji had been particularly tight-lipped about how he felt. But now, Tenten could see the anxiety written across Neji’s forehead, the nervous jerk of his limbs.

“Who knows?” Neji responded flatly.

Tenten waited for a second, then pushed herself up from the couch, standing in front of him. She easily pulled the briefcase out of his grip, searching his eyes.

“There’s nothing to analyze, Tian,” Neji said, gazing blankly back at her.

“I’m not so sure,” Tenten murmured. “You’re too calm, considering how he disrespected you.”

Neji sighed, his eyes moving to look out the windows. “I don’t think he meant what he said. He’s been more irritable lately than usual.”

“Neji, he insulted you,” Tenten said firmly. “Why can’t you quit? It doesn’t make you happy at all.”

Neji pressed his mouth into a thin line. “It’s my responsibility.”

“It sounds like your uncle puts too much pressure on you. If he wants Hinata to be CEO one day, why doesn’t he just give her your job and let you go?”

Neji considered her, reaching out to rest his hand on the back of her neck, fingers playing with a strand of hair. Slowly, he said, “Hinata isn’t interested. Neither is Hanabi. Uncle would rather die than give the company to someone other than them. He believes very strongly in the idea of family and generational investment.”

“I wouldn’t know it,” Tenten muttered darkly.

Neji smirked bitterly. “I know he didn’t make a good impression, but perhaps Hinata and I haven’t been fair to his character. When my father was still alive, Uncle would talk with him every day on the phone, asking for advice or discussing current events. They were very close. He was as devastated as I was when he died.”

Tenten contemplated this. “That still doesn’t explain why he’s being such a jerk to you. It seems to me that you’re the only family member he can rely on.”

Neji chuckled, running his thumb over her throat. “People are complicated,” he said simply, shrugging.

_That they are_ , Tenten thought. Tentatively, her thoughts returning to everything that had occurred at the engagement party, she began nonchalantly, “By the way . . . I talked with Naruto at the party. You never told me what happened between him and Sasuke Uchiha.”

Neji’s fingers stilled, his expression shifting to one of reserve. “It’s not my business to tell,” Neji replied.

Tenten raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it? He’s essentially going to be your brother-in-law.”

Neji pulled away, reaching out to take his briefcase to resume packing. “Naruto isn’t someone most people understand. Everything that happened between him and Uchiha . . . that was before he and Hinata were together.”

“Then why did he invite him to the engagement party?”

“You’d have to ask him,” Neji said shortly.

Tenten didn’t respond, studying Neji’s furrowed brow as he methodically packed his bag. After a moment, he glanced up and said, “Listen, Naruto is someone that I respect. But sometimes I wonder if his decisions are wise—Hinata wasn’t pleased that Naruto invited Uchiha.”

“Because of the past?” Tenten asked.

Neji nodded. “Hinata would do anything for Naruto. She . . . feels it’s her responsibility to protect him.”

“Why haven’t you talked to Naruto about it?” Tenten pressed curiously. “It seems . . . unlike you, not to say anything.”

Neji considered her, forehead creasing in thought. “Naruto has an interesting philosophy about life—that everyone deserves a second chance, no matter how horrible they are to you. Even if I don’t see the value in that, it’s his prerogative. And I’d rather not insert myself into he and Hinata’s relationship.”

He placed his laptop inside his briefcase and zipped up the bag, glancing at her passively. “Do you think that’s unfeeling of me?” he asked.

Tenten shook her head, lost in thought, as she reached out to grasp his arm and pulled him to her. She leaned in to kiss him, their conversation forgotten.

**-x-**

Tenten anxiously tapped a pen against the table of the small conference room, itching for a cigarette. She rarely cleaned out her purse—surely there would be a stray one rolling around? Her hand strayed to her bag, but she drew back as the conference room door opened, revealing a raven-haired man she’d just as soon never see again.

“What are _you_ doing here?” she asked waspishly.

Sasuke smirked and sat down across from her. Before he could answer, Konan swept in, shutting the door behind her. She stood at the head of the table and stared at them, her gaze lingering on Tenten. She did not sit, commanding their attention. “Tenten, Akatsuki is not happy with your progress,” began Konan without preamble.

Tenten could tell as much, even if Sasuke hadn’t been dispatched to Hinata’s engagement party. She scowled at Konan, irritated at being berated in front of Sasuke. “I’m doing my best, Konan,” Tenten replied frostily, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

Konan arched an eyebrow doubtfully. “I don’t find your behavior convincing. You’re on thin ice as it is, considering your previous assignment.”

Tenten’s face flamed with indignation. She gripped her hands around her biceps and ignored the smug look that had appeared on Sasuke’s face.

“I think all of you should remember that that wasn’t my fault,” Tenten said in a biting tone.

Sasuke waved this away, considering Tenten coolly. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to hold grudges, Ten?”

“Don’t talk to me,” she spat, throwing him a sharp look. “I’m still pissed at you for that fucked up display at the engagement party.”

“Why? Hyuga get his underwear in a knot?”

Tenten considered slamming her pen through Sasuke’s temple. Konan slapped her hand on the table, startling them both. She said in a voice as thin and cutting as paper, eyes narrowed, “You’re not making any progress, Tenten, and we’re tired of waiting. We want you to access Neji Hyuga’s office computer and review the company’s financial ledgers. Everything you can find. And you already know what we want concerning Hiashi Hyuga.”

Tenten grimaced. “It’s like I’ve been telling you. Since Hiashi Hyuga has been under the weather, he hasn’t been around as much. I can’t give you any more than what I’ve been able to get off his personal family conversations.”

“We don’t care about the family, Tenten. We want the business dealings, that’s it. I want this done by Friday.”

Tenten quickly did the math in her head—Neji was due back Friday evening. She gritted her teeth against complaining—Konan was not giving her an unreasonable task, no matter how much she didn’t want to do it. “Fine,” she conceded, jaw clenched. “But I want Sasuke to back off.”

Sasuke smirked at her; Tenten ignored him.

“This isn’t a negotiation. Sasuke has his own mission, Tenten. It’s not your decision where he goes,” Konan replied shortly.

Tenten pursed her lips angrily. “What, Naruto Uzumaki? What does he have to do with this?”

“Naruto Uzumaki is very valuable to us,” Konan said delicately.

Tenten’s eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

Konan shot her a look. “It doesn’t concern your assignment.”

Tenten stared back. “Somehow, I don’t believe that.”

From across the table, Sasuke cleared his throat. Tenten begrudgingly turned her eyes to him. “Does it really bother you that we’re both working together again, Tenten? I thought we could let the past be the past.”

Remembering her conversation with Neji, Tenten snapped, “Maybe Naruto could forgive you for fucking him over, but I certainly never will.”

Sasuke shrugged, holding her gaze. “You really are attached to them all, aren’t you?” he drawled, raising a dark eyebrow.

Tenten glared at Sasuke, ignoring the weight of Konan’s stare. Involuntarily, her fingers twitched.

**-x-**

Tenten hurriedly dug through her purse, searching. She exhaled a sigh of relief when her fingers closed around what she’d been craving. She quickly stuck a cigarette in her mouth and lit it, taking a drag.

She rolled her neck and breathed out, letting the smoke wind its way up into the air. She’d always hated smoking—she’d hated it when Shikamaru did it when they were together; she’d hated that she’d taken up the habit; hated that she returned to it when she felt particularly stressed. Tenten shook her head in disgust, reaching for her phone as she thought of Neji.

Out of a side door came Sasuke, clearly looking for her. Tenten frowned and put her phone away.

“What’s eating you, Ten? I thought you quit after you and Shikamaru broke up,” he said, sauntering over.

Tenten sighed, flicking ash onto the sidewalk. “I did,” she said, turning her face away from him to consider the skyline.

“Hyuga must be stressing you out a lot if you’re back to that old habit.”

Tenten didn’t give him a response, pressing the cigarette back to her lips. Sasuke continued, dark gaze on the city beneath them, “I think I’ll pay him a visit at his office soon.”

Tenten shifted her gaze to him, eyes narrowing. “Stop screwing with Hyuga. He’s already suspicious.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “He’s not suspicious of anything—just jealous.”

Tenten scoffed. “You have no idea who he is. You have nothing he’d be jealous of.”

Sasuke smirked, shrugging.

Tenten stubbed her cigarette out underneath her boot. “I don’t want to fuck with you, Sasuke.”

“Are you sure, Ten? I’m very fuckable.”

She almost smiled, but her distaste for him made her lips freeze into a thin line. “What are you doing with Naruto Uzumaki? He didn’t seem very warm towards you at the engagement party,” she said.

Sasuke treated her to a condescending smile. “I doubt that. Naruto is incredibly forgiving.”

Tenten’s mouth tightened. “So, you really did steal all of his money a couple of years ago? What for?”

Sasuke shook his head. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he muttered. “It’s none of your business, Ten.”

“It _is_ my damn business!” Tenten hissed. “Whatever the fuck you think you’re doing with Naruto or Hinata or Neji, just stay out of it. This is my job, not yours—and if you don’t stay out of my way—”

“You’ll what?” Sasuke asked, sounding bored.

Tenten opened her mouth to deliver a retort, but Sasuke cut across her, saying, “Just remember when you’re in the fantasy, Ten.” He raised a single dark eyebrow at her, and walked away, slipping back inside the building.

Tenten watched him leave. “Pest,” she whispered, withdrawing another cigarette.

**-x-**

Later that evening, as Tenten was lounging around on Neji’s couch, Sasuke’s nonchalance concerning Naruto kept resurfacing at the forefront of her mind. Biting her fingernail, Tenten stared up at the ceiling, wondering what Sasuke’s mission could be. She’d never heard his thievery spoken of before, either by a member of Akatsuki or Sasuke himself.

“Strange,” Tenten murmured to herself. From what she knew of Sasuke, he was notoriously prideful. On their last assignment together, before Sasuke let her take the fall and get arrested, he’d spent most of their time goading their clients and claiming how perfect his track record was with Akatsuki.

His relationship with Naruto was curious too—no one had ever mentioned it to her. Her curiosity rising with each passing second, Tenten reached for her phone and typed in a simple search. She analyzed the results, scrolling down the page. Near the bottom, she noticed a virtual page for a high school graduation class from almost ten years ago. She clicked on it and waited impatiently for the class picture to load. And there they were, standing next to each other, in alphabetical order: Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, at eighteen.

Tenten enlarged the picture with her fingers, somewhat dissatisfied with the slightly blurry quality it produced. But it was them—Sasuke, frowning, with a slightly longer haircut, and Naruto, grinning, his shock of blonde hair standing on-end.

Tenten’s eyes wandered to the name of the high school and pulled up a new tab, typing in a more specific search. The address of the school popped up, as well as a few listings for social media group pages associated with it. Tenten glanced through these but found nothing more of interest to her.

Flipping onto her stomach, she looked back at the class picture. _Could they really have been friends for this long?_ she thought.

She stared hard at Sasuke’s face, ten years younger; he still possessed the same scowl. “What are you up to?” she asked aloud, running back through everything that she knew.

_“Naruto Uzumaki is very valuable to us,”_ Konan had said.

_“You really are attached to them all, aren’t you?”_ Sasuke had asked her.

Tenten rubbed her eyes tiredly.

_“Hinata wasn’t pleased that Naruto invited Uchiha. . . Hinata would do anything for Naruto. She . . . feels it’s her responsibility to protect him,”_ Neji had told her.

Tenten opened her eyes and sat up suddenly, her head spinning from the quick movement. She got to her feet and paced, her thoughts churning. She reached for her phone and pulled up the address of the Hyuga home, where Hinata lived. After another moment of deliberation, Tenten grabbed her bag and strode with purpose to put on her shoes by the front door.

**-x-**

When Tenten reached the gated Hyuga compound, she walked around the block a couple of times, searching for anything suspicious. She came up short; besides a few dog-walkers and parked cars, the neighborhood was peaceful.

Since the Hyuga home was hidden behind a coded gate, Tenten knew she most likely wouldn’t be able to get inside; she was certain the Hyuga’s kept their grounds monitored by security cameras. But after surveying the perimeter outside, Tenten could see several blind spots. The Hyuga home sat on a corner, safely tucked into a nest of tall trees. The gate was tall and a solid brown, with no gaps—there was no way for her to peek from the sidewalk.

Tenten scanned the nearest copse of trees and glanced over her shoulder, checking to see if there were any eyes noticing her. The only camera that she could see was nestled next to the keypad on the gate. Without a second thought, Tenten faded into the shadows of the trees and pulled herself up into the branches.

The view was partially obscured by the broad-leaved branches of the evergreen, but Tenten pushed a few out of the way once she got high enough, peering through the steadily growing darkness.

The Hyuga home’s driveway was spacious—a wide swathe of perfectly paved drive, buttressed by a clearly well-tended garden of flowers and smaller, decorative trees. There were only a few cars parked outside, though none of them seemed to belong to Hinata.

_Probably at some charity function_ , Tenten assumed.

After staring down at the house for a few more moments, Tenten shimmied down the tree, landing solidly on her feet. She dug inside her bag at the foot of the tree and retrieved a small remote camera and her tool bag.

Bracing herself against the trunk, Tenten swiftly drilled a hole inside one of the larger trees, making sure it had a direct, if not shadowed view of the front of the Hyuga’s gate. It took her almost five minutes to install it; when she was finished, she withdrew her phone, navigating to the remote access application she used. She tapped her screen a few times and sighed in relief when the camera footage appeared.

Tenten smiled to herself. “Let’s see you try to bother Hinata now, Sasuke Uchiha.”


	10. Chapter 10

**-x-**

Tenten resisted her assignment to bug Neji’s office for almost the full duration of his absence, trying to will herself into it. Finally, on Thursday, she sucked up her courage and packed a bag with her tech equipment.

Her plan was to make an excuse about how Neji had accidentally brought something of hers to his office. As an extra measure, Tenten had texted Neji to ask if he had borrowed this ambiguous item; he’d refused and when Tian had expressed exasperation at it missing, he’d suggested that she go by the office in case he’d brought it there, thinking it was his. He’d allowed Moegi to take half-days while he was gone, so he’d encouraged her to go in the morning.

Tenten didn’t heed his advice. And so, when the elevator stopped on the Hyuga company’s floor that late Thursday afternoon, Tenten was surprised to see Moegi sitting at her desk.

The younger woman brightened at Tian’s appearance. Tenten stepped forward and held out her hand to shake, saying, “I think we’ve only spoken on the phone—I’m Tian, Neji’s—”

“Neji’s girlfriend!” Moegi exclaimed, shaking her hand vigorously. “It’s nice to finally meet you!”

Tian smiled brightly, glancing around the office. “I can’t believe Neji’s never brought me here before.”

“He always seems happier when he comes back from coffee with you,” Moegi said. “He sent me an email that you were looking for something he might have brought to the office with him?”

_So that’s why she’s here. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it to Neji._ Tian nodded, her face shifting to a puzzled expression. “I’ve looked everywhere—his apartment, my apartment—and I can’t seem to find it. I need it for work,” she explained.

Moegi nodded easily. “Let’s take a look then!”

“I wouldn’t want to pull you away from your desk,” Tenten said limply.

But Moegi was already slipping out of her chair and headed to Neji’s office door, withdrawing a set of keys. “No problem at all. That phone rings so loud I can hear it throughout the whole floor.”

Tenten pursed her lips and followed behind Moegi. She turned on the lights and raised her eyebrows. Neji’s office was large, probably twice as big as the lobby out front where Moegi’s desk was. The windows facing the skyline were particularly impressive—Tenten could instantly picture Neji getting lost in the view.

Her heart panged with his absence; Tenten anxiously reached up to run a hand through her hair. Moegi went over to Neji’s tidy desk and glanced around, asking, “What was it that you were looking for?”

This wasn’t what Tenten had wanted at all. Would she have to come back and break in? Or could she visit Neji later next week and do it then? She clenched her fist in frustration. “Moegi, I think I remember where I—”

Out at Moegi’s desk, the phone rang, as loud as Moegi had claimed it would. She sent Tian a fleeting grin. “One second. Be right back.” She swept out of the room, the trill silencing as she answered the call.

Tenten moved quickly, crouching in front of his computer. She checked the power—it was asleep, not off. It quickly woke and asked her for a password.

“Dammit,” she muttered under her breath, her fingers hesitating over the keyboard. On a hunch, she entered in Neji’s father’s birth year. The home screen appeared; Tenten smiled. “Still got it,” she whispered to herself.

Neji’s desktop screen was incredibly organized—all his applications sat on his taskbar; Tenten assumed they were arranged by usage. In preparation for this visit, Tenten had researched online financial ledgers—she was pleased to see that the one Hyuga Development used was one of the very ones she’d studied.

Tenten inserted her jump drive as she opened the company’s financial program, pausing once more as it asked for a passcode. She tried Neji’s father’s birth year again; the passcode window shook slightly with a failed attempt. Muttering to herself, Tenten glanced up to view Moegi at her receptionist desk—she was still on the phone.

_What could it be?_ Tenten asked herself, picturing Neji in her mind’s eye. Her fingers moved across the keys, as if of their own volition, typing out the year Neji’s father died. The program opened, and Tenten grimaced, rapidly clicking through until she reached the company’s ledger. From there, it took an additional fifty-six seconds to download the relevant files to her jump drive, remove it, and then put the computer to sleep again.

Moegi strolled into the room just as Tenten was placing the jump drive back into her bag. She smiled kindly at Tian and said, “When he told me you were going to come by the office, I jumped at the chance to meet you—he’s hard to pull information out of. I don’t know what you’ve done, but I’ve never seen him happier than the last few months.”

“Really? He’s never seemed unhappy to me,” Tian replied, smiling sweetly.

“When Mr. Hyuga—Neji’s father, not the CEO—died a few years ago, Neji was devastated. He came to work for a whole year, but he wasn’t _really_ here, you know? He never comes to work on the anniversary.” Moegi glanced around the office. “It’s good that he has you. I worry about him sometimes.”

“What is there to worry about?” Tenten asked, studying Moegi with narrowed eyes.

Moegi crossed her arms, thinking. “I catch him in here sometimes—staring off into space. Like he’s in another place entirely.” She shrugged. “I think it can get overwhelming for him—practically running the company, fielding all of the issues with the properties, acting as go-between for his uncle and the shareholders. It would be a lot for anyone.”

Tenten mulled this over, imagining Neji in this room, sitting at his desk, hating everything. Her heart hurt for him. “He’s good at his job though,” she said to Moegi.

“Oh, yes. He’s the best the company’s ever had. If you want my opinion, Mr. Hyuga should make him CEO.”

Tian smiled politely. “I don’t think Neji would ever want that position.”

Moegi shared her smile. “You’re right; he’d rather quit than be the face of the company.” She glanced around the room, then back to Tian. “Did you say you found what you were looking for?”

“Oh,” Tian said, looking down in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. I realized I left it at home—I put it in this very obscure spot, so that I would remember exactly where it was the next time I needed it.” Tian grinned, shaking her head. “You can see how well that plan worked.”

Moegi chuckled and the two women walked out of the office. Tenten reached out and turned off the lights to Neji’s office, feeling her neck prickle as Moegi shut the door behind them.

**-x-**

When Neji walked into his apartment Friday evening, freshly returned from his business trip, he found Tian dozing on the couch. Smiling, he freed himself from his luggage and eased down next to her. He ran his fingers through her hair, feeling the weight from his shoulders and mind abate. He studied her parted lips, the twitch of her eye, the way her fingers were curled tightly into fists. Neji smiled down at her, moving his hand to brush back her bangs. She stirred, her expression twisting from peaceful sleep to wrinkled irritation. Neji’s heart lifted.

She opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she took in her surroundings. Her fingers unclenched, a sleepy, satisfied smile spreading across her mouth. “Hi,” Tenten whispered, sitting up to embrace him tightly. She captured his lips in a kiss, her whole body burning from the prolonged absence of his skin.

Neji pulled back abruptly, shooting her a quizzical look, brow furrowed. “Have you been smoking?” he asked.

_Dammit_ , Tenten thought, remembering the cigarettes she’d had earlier. Tian laughed lightly, gazing at him in surprise. “What are you talking about? No way!”

Neji studied her for a moment, then leaned forward to kiss her again. He lingered, clearly trying to distinguish the smell.

Tenten shifted away from him, arranging her face to indifference. “When did you get back?” she asked, seizing hold of his shirt collar, rubbing her thumb against his throat.

“Just now. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“You should have called when your flight got back. I could have come to meet you at the airport.”

Neji shook his head, sighing as he leaned back into the couch. He shut his eyes for a moment. Tenten trailed her fingers up his neck, slowly massaging. “How did your trip go?” she asked, feeling her week-long anxiety ebb as she looked at him.

“Fine. Uncle was crabbier than usual, but I think it was only the temperature that didn’t agree with him. He came back with a cold.”

Tenten hummed, letting her eyes come to rest on his mouth. She swallowed, trying to push down the surge of want. “Did you get the deal you wanted? For the land?”

“No. Uncle wanted too small a price for it. The sellers weren’t interested, and Uncle wouldn’t pay any more for it. I tried to convince him, but. . .” Neji trailed off, shrugging. He cracked open his eyes to glance at her, a smirk touching his lips. “I’m glad to be back. No more trips until after the new year.”

Tenten grinned. She edged closer to him, crawling onto his lap. Her arms wound around his neck; she gave him a light peck. “I missed you,” she whispered, her body thrumming with anticipation.

Neji smiled lazily, closing his eyes. “I’m not sure how that’s possible. You had my shower the entire time.”

Tenten scoffed, tentatively kissing him again. “Well, there was no one to take a shower _with_ , so. . .”

She watched him open his eyes, warmth softening his features. Needing no more suggestion, he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

**-x-**

“You know, when I was younger, I dreamed about being one of those circus acts that swallows knives or walks on hot coals or something.”

Neji spread his fingers across her cheek, eyes heavy with sleep. “Sounds dangerous. Why would you want to do that?”

Tenten shifted onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. “I used to like living on the edge.”

“You, an adrenaline junkie?”

Tenten smiled to herself. _If only you knew, Neji Hyuga._ She moved her arm to rest underneath his head. Neji laid his head on her shoulder, sighing contentedly. Her fingers combed through his hair as she said teasingly, “What—it doesn’t seem like me?”

“I can’t picture you jumping out of an airplane, no.”

“Underrated,” Tenten declared.

Neji said nothing, his breathing evening out. Tenten moved again, wanting to keep him awake. “What did you dream of being when you were a kid?” she asked, sliding a leg over his hipbone, pressing her mouth sleepily on his.

Almost asleep, Neji whispered, “I didn’t have a job in mind. I always just wanted to be my father.”

Tenten swallowed and pressed another kiss to his lips before finally letting him drift off, laying her head on his chest, right above his steady heartbeat.

**-x-**

A few days later, Neji found the cigarette carton in her purse, where Tian had asked him to retrieve her headphones. He stared at the empty box for a moment before holding it up for her examination, face contorted into disapproval. “Why did you lie to me the other day?”

_Shit_.

Casually, Tian said, “Oh, that. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. And I felt you would—you know, judge me or something. I’ve been so stressed about deadlines lately.”

Neji looked back to the carton in his hand, an ugly scowl on his face. “My father smoked. It was the contributing cause to the heart attack that killed him.”

_I should have known that. Why didn’t I know that?_ Tenten thought, mind racing to put Neji at ease. She walked over to where he was standing, the carton laying in his palm. His eyes flicked between the empty container and Tian, his brow furrowed. He crumpled the box in his hand, staring at her hard. “Why are you lying to me?”

Tenten stilled, working to control her facial expression. “I told you,” Tian answered, a tinge of exasperation in her voice, “I’ve been stressed lately. I didn’t want—”

“It’s not only that,” Neji interrupted firmly, his gaze unwavering. “You lied to me about knowing who Sasuke Uchiha was too. At the engagement party.”

Tenten couldn’t control the angry flush that rose to her cheeks. In a tremulous voice, she replied, “I’m sorry. They were white lies—I’m not. . . I don’t know why I told them. It seemed like it would make everything easier.”

“Easier for what?”

“For you to like me!” Tian exclaimed, eyes growing big with the realization. Tenten’s face flamed anew, inwardly cringing. “I was insecure about us—I wasn’t sure if you really liked me. I didn’t want you to know the messy parts of me, like that I smoke sometimes when I’m stressed out.”

“Or that you know Sasuke Uchiha?”

Tian nodded, looking at Neji with worry. Neji sighed, looking back to the carton in his hand. He shook his head once, trying to clear his thoughts.

After another moment, Neji brushed past her, eyeing her as he tossed the cigarette carton in the trash. He said, voice firm, “I meant what I said at the engagement party about not lying to me. I want to be taken seriously about that, Tian.”

Tenten resisted the urge to shudder under his focused scrutiny. She nodded again in understanding.

“As for feeling insecure or that I wouldn’t accept you for who you are—did I give you that impression?”

Tenten swallowed, searching for a credible lie. “No,” Tian said slowly, “you’ve been . . . amazing, Neji.”

“Then what is it?” he pressed, eyes narrowed.

“I—” Tenten scrambled, her heart thudding fast in her chest. After a beat, she said the only thing that came to mind: “I wonder sometimes if I’m good enough for you. You—you’re good at everything. I’m—Neji, when I’m with you I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time. These past few months. . .” Tenten paused, taking a breath. “They’ve been like a dream for me. I’m sorry for lying. I pro—I won’t do it again.”

Neji considered her for another long moment then walked over, looking down into her eyes. “You’re more than enough,” he murmured, lifting his hand to sweep her hair behind her ear. “Please don’t question that.”

Heart in her throat, Tenten nodded, letting Neji guide her head to his chest. She closed her eyes tightly against the tears that were building and willed them away.

**-x-**

“Is everything ready?” Konan asked, her voice tinny sounding in Sasuke’s earpiece.

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh. “Yes,” he said begrudgingly.

“Two a.m. start time?” Konan continued.

Sasuke nodded, dark eyes glancing up at the Hyuga’s building.

“We will commence black-out at two ten sharp. After that, you will have fifteen minutes.”

“That will be enough. If he even has anything worth taking.”

Konan looked up at the building, her critical eyes searching for weaknesses in the architecture. “The files Tenten got from Neji Hyuga’s computer didn’t reveal any discrepancies, but something tells me they’re still hiding something.”

Sasuke cleared his throat and straightened, analyzing his entry point. He checked his watch then said, “If Neji Hyuga is hiding something, tonight is the night we’ll find out for sure. I’ll check in after completion.”

From her place at Akatsuki headquarters, Konan sat down, gazing at the building on her office television screen. She glanced at her watch, finger hovering over her keyboard. As the minute hand on her watch arrived at ten past, Konan keyed in the black-out code. She let out a slow breath and sank back into her chair to wait.

**-x-**

Tenten felt Neji shift next to her. She turned to him when she saw his phone illuminate, squinting through the darkness. “What is it?” she mumbled, half-asleep.

“There was a break-in at the office,” Neji murmured, his eyes not leaving the screen. Without further explanation, he slipped out of bed and began putting on clothes.

Tenten sat up, her heart suddenly racing in panic. “You’re not going there in the middle of the night?”

“They weren’t apprehended. I need to see if they took anything valuable.”

“Can’t you let the police do it?” she pressed.

Neji shook his head, sitting on the edge of the mattress to put on socks. “I’ll be back in a while,” he said and left the room. A few seconds later, Tenten heard the front door close.

She scrambled out of bed and sprinted into the living room, seizing her purse and grabbing her phone. She dialed Konan’s number and pressed it to her ear, pacing the room. After a few rings, it went to voicemail.

Jaw clenched, Tenten tried again and again. No answer. She thumbed through her other Akatsuki contacts, and tried them all, but either they’d been instructed not to take her calls anymore, or they were ignoring her.

“Fuck them,” she muttered under her breath.


	11. Chapter 11

**-xi-**

Detective “Rock” Lee took great care with his appearance. Unlike the other detectives in his office, Lee never dared to come into work looking anything but his best. He did not have bags under his eyes from too many sleepless nights, his jet-black hair was always shining and perfectly in place, and if he appeared in anything but his signature dark green jacket, well, then something was truly wrong. Even now, at three forty-five in the morning, he stood out as professionally impeccable.

The break-in at Hyuga Development Co. was by no means an out-of-the-ordinary case for the seasoned detective. On the contrary, break-ins were among the most common of crimes in their city. Lee didn’t have enough fingers or toes combined to count how many he’d covered in his nearly ten years on the police force.

However, the one thing particularly different about the Hyuga case was that the break-in was clearly accomplished by a specialist.

Lee leaned over the shoulder of the security official that worked for the building, reviewing the footage again. He glanced down at his notepad, double checking the timestamps he’d written down as he watched the recording.

At two in the morning, there were a surprising amount of people still within the building. At least a dozen maintenance staff had been on the premises, in addition to security officers, a handful of night owls finishing up projects, and one group of six men who had been brainstorming for their latest assignment.

At two ten exactly, the lights to the entire building were extinguished, including emergency lighting. The video screens were flooded with black.

For the third time, Lee asked the officer, “There is no audio recording, correct?”

With an exasperated sigh, the officer nodded in confirmation.

Lee hovered close to the video screen display, his dark eyes scanning for any sign amid the blackness. Apart from some panicked flashlight use, there was nothing to be seen from the eighth floor. With a few taps, the security official sped up the video, halting it to just within fourteen minutes. When he hit play again, Lee only had to wait mere seconds before the lights to the building were restored. He watched as the individuals present in the building looked silently up at the ceiling, consulting with one another. The security officers lifted their radios, and clearly receiving an instruction to check each floor, separated and set off.

Lee curiously watched one portly officer reach the eighth floor and lazily glance around the reception area. Perhaps it was on a whim, or maybe he really had seen something, the officer walked over to Neji Hyuga’s office and peered in. He brought his radio to his mouth and called for back-up.

The security officer next to Lee clicked pause on the feed, and glanced up, raising his eyebrows. “Well? What do you make of it?”

Lee thought carefully for a moment, glancing down at his notes.

The Hyuga Development offices took up the entire eighth floor, with other assorted businesses and offices occupying floors two through seven and nine through twelve. The first floor contained a lobby, the building commissary, and a handful of boutique stores. Each floor had about a dozen access points, some public, some private, some requiring passcode clearance to enter. The roof wasn’t out of the question, though Lee doubted the perpetrator would have wanted to enter and escape using that particular route. Each person that had been within the building at the time of the break-in had been accounted for and checked; the trespasser wasn’t among any of them.

Lee crossed his arms, wondering. He glanced at the officer and shrugged. “Whoever it was, they were highly skilled. They timed their execution perfectly, though it’s curious . . . since they seemed to not have taken anything.” Lee released an excited grin, causing the officer to stare up at him in confusion. “But I’m sure you know, fellow comrade, what we have that the perpetrator does not?”

The security official gaped up at him, slightly shaking his head. Lee waited, nodding to him encouragingly. In a puzzled tone, the officer said, “Pensions?”

“No,” Detective Lee said in growing enthusiasm, “what we have is our determination, our drive to see justice served!”

The officer nodded to appease the detective in the green jacket, and inched away from him, turning back to the video screens.

**-x-**

Neji tiredly sat at his ransacked desk, trying to put away the disconcerting feeling of violation that he felt. Neji’s eyes wandered again over the disheveled papers and office items lying cast onto the floor or spread open, where hours before they had been neatly set aside in their proper place.

“Such a mess,” he muttered, glancing to the window behind him.

The intruder must have entered from the reception area—there were no markings whatsoever on the window or broken glass. _Though, why not, if they didn’t care about destroying my office?_ Neji thought.

His phone buzzed again with another incoming call, probably Tian. She’d been calling every half-hour, like clockwork, but Neji had yet to speak with her; he didn’t need the extra distraction.

But no—it wasn’t Tian.

Neji sighed heavily and answered, lifting the phone to his ear. “Good morning, Uncle,” he said softly.

“Neji,” Hiashi began in an annoyed tone, “what in the world is going on? Hinata just woke me—and she said you’ve been at the office for hours! Why was I not told of this sooner?”

Neji glanced again to the pre-dawn sky outside his office window. “I thought it would be better to let you sleep more, before I broke the news. And I wanted to have more information before contacting you.”

“That is not your decision! You are my second-in-command! I should have been the first person at the company alerted!”

Neji brought his fingers to his eyes, pressing the skin to relieve some of the pressure that was gathering there. “They couldn’t get you on your home phone number. They called me on my cell phone.”

“Then give me the names of the security officers so I can have them fired for not following company protocol!” Hiashi snapped.

Neji sat back in his chair, waiting. From the corner of his eye, he saw Moegi greet the police detective in the lobby.

“What have you found out?”

“Very little,” Neji replied. “It doesn’t appear that they took anything.”

“How sure can we be of that? They could have easily photographed what they wanted and taken it with them!”

Neji closed his eyes, leaning his head into the chair’s headrest. “I’ll be sure to let the detective know our concerns about that.”

There was a beat of silence, and then Hiashi said, “How could you let this happen, Neji?”

Neji opened his eyes and stared blankly at the wall, his body heavy with stress. “I don’t know, Uncle,” he answered, detached. “You have my apologies.”

**-x-**

Over the next couple of days, Neji spent his time almost completely at the office, reviewing camera footage that revealed nothing and listening to Detective Lee’s updates over the phone.

Tenten, unbelievably angry, let out a string of curses when Konan finally took her phone call, two days after the break-in.

“What the _fuck_ are you doing, Konan? Breaking into Neji’s office and not telling me anything about it? I was just there, on your orders; I got you the fucking ledger and there was nothing out of the ordinary!” Tenten began, pacing back and forth in her apartment. “And I assume you sent Sasuke on this ridiculous escapade.”

She could almost hear Konan’s eye roll when she replied, “The break-in didn’t have anything to do with you, Tenten. Sasuke was looking into something else.”

“Bullshit!” Tenten shouted, blood boiling. “Why the fuck do you keep putting Sasuke on missions that I’m running?”

“Our mission assignments aren’t your concern,” Konan said. “You should be more focused on gathering information about the Hyuga’s, especially Hiashi.”

“I don’t know how you expect me to do that, now that you’ve done this without informing me of _anything_. Neji hasn’t been home in days dealing with this shit you’ve started.” _Dammit_ , Tenten thought, pressing her lips together tightly.

“‘Home’?” Konan prompted, latching onto the word. “Please don’t tell me you’ve moved in with him. That’s completely unacceptable, Tenten.”

“I would say what Sasuke did to me was also ‘completely unacceptable’, but you don’t care about that, right, Konan? You just want the results,” Tenten spat.

On the other line, Konan sighed in exasperation. “It’s time you let that go, Tenten. Sasuke was punished for his decisions on that mission. As for what’s considered acceptable, you—”

“He stole five months of my life from me! I can’t believe you even trust him enough to—” Tenten interjected hotly.

“No more, Tenten,” Konan snapped, her tone chilling.

Tenten stopped pacing, leaning her forehead against the wall. She sighed.

“As for Neji Hyuga, you’re too close to him. You need to take a step back or I’ll have no choice but to pull you from the assignment.”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Tenten challenged, eyes closed. “My relationships are too valuable.”

Konan sniffed in irritation. “Fine. Then we will personally deal with Neji Hyuga, to leave your path to our goal clear.”

Tenten’s eyes popped open, fear flooding her veins. “He’s innocent in all this. Keep him out of it,” she said in a rush, gritting her teeth.

Konan exhaled again. “I would advise you to remember what role you’re playing in this, Tenten. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

Tenten made no reply, biting the inside of her cheek.

**-x-**

As the days passed from the break-in, Tenten grew increasingly more anxious as Neji spent endless hours at the office. Finally, suffering from the lack of his presence and feeling the need to assess the full extent of damage wrecked by Akatsuki, she purchased three coffees—one for her, one for Moegi, and one for Neji—and ascended to Hyuga Development Co.’s floor.

Moegi was on a phone call when Tenten arrived; she smiled tightly and accepted the coffee graciously before waving her towards the office.

Tenten knocked once and stepped inside. A man with a bowl haircut and a dark green jacket was speaking to Neji, his features serious. They both looked up as she entered.

“I thought I’d bring you coffee, since I haven’t seen you. . .” she said, glancing at the stranger.

Neji nodded, saying a tired thank you. She walked over and held out the cup. Neji took it, smiling politely, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He turned back to his guest. “Detective Lee, this is my girlfriend, Tian.”

Detective Lee let forth a beatific smile and energetically reached out to shake Tenten’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Please know that I’m doing everything in my power to catch the intruder.”

Tenten could not help her curiosity. “Do you know who did it? What they looked like, how they got in, anything? Neji’s been so concerned,” Tian said.

Neji glanced at her, a line of displeasure creasing his forehead. _Calm down, you idiot. You’re laying it on too thick_ , Tenten thought, reprimanding herself.

Detective Lee smiled kindly at her. “I’m glad that you care about the details of the case, but I’m afraid there’s not much I can share—there hasn’t been much to go off of.”

Tenten raised her eyebrows in doubt. “You don’t have any leads?”

Detective Lee chuckled, glancing at Neji. “None that I can share presently, no. But I’m keeping Mr. Hyuga well-informed of all my developments. I was just asking him if he had any enemies that he was aware of.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Tian stated. “Neji doesn’t have an argument with anyone.”

Again, Neji shot her a look that conveyed his irritation. Tenten wondered—was she acting out of character? Because of her own anxiety?

“Yes, he’s told me as much. But,” Detective Lee shrugged, darting a glance to Neji, “you’d be surprised at what kind of masks people will wear to get what they want. The break-in could have been done by someone seemingly trustworthy, even a close employee.”

“Moegi would never,” Neji said in a flat tone. “And I’m so sure of it that you can question her, if you like. Provided she agrees, of course.”

“I think I will do that, then,” Detective Lee said. He smiled brightly at Tian, bowing his head respectfully. “Please excuse me.”

Tenten waited until he was gone from the room before turning to Neji. He stared back at her, but his gaze was faraway, eyes unfocused. She waited for him to speak, studying his pale demeanor with concern.

“Thank you for the coffee,” Neji said eventually, glancing at it.

“You’re welcome,” Tenten replied, trying to discern what he was thinking.

With a sigh, he said, “Why did you come?”

Tenten’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. Slowly, she replied, “To bring you coffee? And I haven’t seen you in days.”

Neji looked at something on his computer, expression tight. “I wish you hadn’t come.”

Tenten flinched in surprise. “Why?” she asked, in a very un-Tian tone of voice.

Neji glanced back at her, his fingertips tapping his desk compulsively. “I have enough going on here to occupy my attention. Your being here—it’s a distraction for me.”

Tenten instantly felt annoyed. She opened her mouth to deliver a sharp retort, but checked herself, taking a deep breath. _Who am I being right now?_ she wondered.

“I wasn’t trying to be a distraction,” she said. “I was trying to show that I care about you.”

Neji’s hand stilled from the rhythm, watching her carefully. “You’re incredibly distracting, and even now it’s costing me time when I need to be focused on my work.”

Tenten stared at him, tight-lipped. Neji sighed, shaking his head as he got to his feet. He tiredly pressed his hands to his face. He walked over and took her hand, exhaling, “I’m sorry. Nothing—nothing is coming out right today.”

Tenten blinked and leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss on his mouth. “I’ll leave you to your work then,” Tian said softly.

**-x-**

“Going so soon?”

Tian looked over as she made her way to the elevators. She smiled apologetically. “Yes, I completely forgot I have a deadline to make this afternoon.”

“Oh? What do you do?” Detective Lee asked conversationally.

“I’m a translator,” she answered off-handedly, pressing the elevator call button. “Not a very interesting job, but it pays my bills.” She chuckled humorlessly, eyes darting to the illuminated elevator progression on the wall.

“Interesting enough,” he said. “It was very nice to meet you. Have a good day!”

She smiled briefly and stepped towards the elevator. “You too.”

Detective Lee waited until the elevator doors closed to turn back to Moegi, who was just hanging up the phone. “I’m sorry, Detective. What were we talking about?” she said.

Detective Lee smiled. “We were only chatting. Though, there is one thing I am curious about—how long has Mr. Hyuga been dating his girlfriend? I don’t think he mentioned it to me.”

Moegi distractedly pulled up her schedule on her computer. “Let’s see—they met when he spilled coffee on her at the shop down the street and asked me to set up her dry-cleaning. . . So that was around . . . six months ago?”

“Thank you, Moegi,” Detective Lee said.

Later, as Detective Lee took the stairs down to the parking garage, he repeated to himself so he would not forget, “Tian. Tian. Tian.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: This chapter contains a scene of sexual assault - please skip this chapter if that makes you uncomfortable, or is triggering. There are also other sexual situations.

**-xii-**

A week after the break-in, Neji finally asked Tian to come over. When he answered the door, he didn’t look any better, eyes dull.

Tenten entered, closing the door behind her and followed him to his bedroom. He sat on the edge of the mattress, his eyes wandering to the window.

“Is there something I can do?” Tenten asked, touching his cheek.

Neji shook his head, turning back to her. “No. I’m just . . . stressed. Listen, Tian—about the other day at the office—”

Tenten shook her head firmly. “Forget it, Neji. It’s in the past.”

He searched her expression for confirmation of this easy out. But all Tenten did was rest her hands on his shoulders, kneading out knots. Neji closed his eyes, sighing in relief. “Tell me what you want,” she murmured in a low voice, moving her fingers to his neck.

Neji smiled bitterly but said nothing, eyes shut. Tenten smoothed her hands over his skin, heart thrumming steadily in her chest. After a moment, she said, barely above a whisper, “You’re so good, Neji. You’re so good at everything you do.”

He exhaled and looked at her, carefully reading her expression. He grasped her hips, sliding his hands beneath her shirt, grazing her skin. His mouth slanted into a frown. “I don’t think anyone’s told me that before. At least since my dad died,” he muttered.

“I mean it,” Tenten said, leaning down to kiss him. “I mean every word.”

“Tian,” Neji whispered, his hands ghosting up her back.

Tenten frowned. She was sick of Tian—this shadow of pleasantry she was forced to portray. The truth pushed up to rest on her mouth, her real name poised on her lips, ready to be spoken. She breathed, gazing at Neji. _Stop being such a reckless idiot_ , she thought.

Her confession still on her mouth, Tenten grasped Neji’s neck and kissed him slowly, wishing that the truth came as easily to her as kissing.

_Could I do it?_ she asked herself, laying down next to Neji. _Could I pretend to be this person forever, in exchange for this?_

They moved against each other; Tenten’s fingers curled into Neji’s hair, slipping further into the waves of desire. At her peak, she mindlessly murmured, “I want you. I want you more than anything.”

Neji pressed his lips to her throat and pushed deeper, panting a little as he released. His body slackened and Tenten clung to him, heart thudding in her chest, threatening to burst.

**-x-**

The next morning, when Tenten returned to her apartment, she couldn’t stop thinking about Neji—what she could do to distract him from his miserable work, the break-in, Hiashi. The plans that formed in her head made her dizzy, wondering how on earth she would ever get away with it with Akatsuki watching her every move.

She unlocked her front door, still meditating on the possibility of a future with Neji, when she stopped, sensing something. Tenten halted in the hall leading to her living space. The lights were off, but the distinct silhouette of a man in her armchair had Tenten’s hand straying to her bag, where she kept her smallest pistol.

“Is that how you greet your guests?”

Tenten’s hand stilled over the pistol’s handle, her shoulders dropping some of their tension. She flicked on the lights to see Sasuke Uchiha gazing at her in his usual smug fashion.

“Is this how you get off? Breaking into people’s houses and waiting for them in the dark?” Tenten replied, dropping her bag onto the floor as she walked over to perch on the edge of the futon. “What are you doing here?” She watched with narrowed eyes as Sasuke compulsively flipped open and closed a metal lighter.

“I have a proposition for you,” he said. His dark gaze was unwavering. He paused, letting the silence fill between them for a moment. “I’m going to tell Hyuga you were responsible for the break-in.”

Tenten pursed her lips. “And why do you want to do that?”

Sasuke shrugged one shoulder. “To see how much you’ll dance for it.”

Tenten glared. “So, you’re here to manipulate me? For fun? Did Konan put you up to this? It’s some fucked up test?”

Sasuke shook his head and withdrew his phone from his pocket. He tapped a few buttons and held it up for Tenten’s consideration. Neji’s contact number glared blindingly back at her. “It’s not manipulation if your eyes are wide open, Ten. Now, strip,” Sasuke said.

“What is _wrong_ with you?”

In answer, Sasuke clicked on Neji’s number. It rang in the silence of Tenten’s apartment. Then, distinctly, Neji answered in his usual brisk tone, “Hello?”

Sasuke held Tenten’s gaze, smirking. He raised an eyebrow at her. Tenten gritted her teeth.

“Hello?” Neji said again, impatience creeping into his tone.

Tenten nodded once, jaw clenched, and Sasuke smiled, ending the call. “Strip,” he commanded again, leaning back into the chair.

With an irritated sigh, Tenten slipped out of her jacket. She had only just begun to peel off her shirt when Sasuke said, “Slower.”

Tenten exhaled through her nose and switched her pace, trying to summon Angel from the strip club. Sasuke’s dark eyes glittered as he watched her take off her clothes, finally letting out a low whistle when she stood before him in her underwear.

Tenten set her hands on her hips, her jaw clenched as she stared down at him. “Satisfied?” she asked in a biting tone.

“Not quite,” Sasuke answered. He smiled wickedly and gestured her closer to the chair.

“You can’t be serious,” she muttered.

“If you don’t do what I want, Ten, I’ll destroy the little fantasy you’ve been enjoying with Hyuga.” The simplicity with which he stated this made Tenten’s hair prickle at the back of her neck. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she stepped over to him.

“Undress me,” he said.

Tenten gritted her teeth, but reached for Sasuke’s jacket, tugging it off him smoothly. As she reached for the top button of his shirt, Tenten could barely contain her fury. She abandoned the buttons and ripped it, throwing it to the floor. She forcefully undid his belt and chucked it across the room; it hit the wall with a deep thud that almost surely would leave a dent in the cheap plaster.

He was already hard as she unzipped his jeans; Tenten rolled her eyes. Sasuke shifted his weight, and then they were on the floor, him leaning over her. He stretched her arms above her head, pinning her wrists to the floor with his right hand. His other hand ghosted over her exposed body, brushing against her breasts, the dip of her navel, and down between her thighs.

Tenten seized and she growled at him in frustration, glaring at the ceiling.

Smiling, Sasuke let go of her wrists and grasped her hand, guiding it past his underwear. Her jaw ached from clenching it so tightly. In a hurry, she massaged his boner, trying to coax out some type of pleasure.

Sasuke groaned, hovering above her. Eyes closed, he pushed down her underwear and moved against her, his hand coming to rest on her throat.

“Do you fuck Hyuga like this, Ten?” Sasuke said huskily.

Tenten flinched. In one movement, she pushed Sasuke off her and got to her feet. She marched over to her bag and withdrew the pistol, cocking it once and aiming it at Sasuke’s forehead.

“Suffer in hell, asshole,” Tenten said. “Get the fuck out.”

“Come back, you bitch. I’ll call Hyuga while I fuck your brains out.”

Tenten clicked off the safety, her arm steady. “Get the fuck out of my apartment,” she repeated. “Or I’ll shoot you.”

Sasuke studied her for a second before sighing, getting to his feet to redress. He took his time, shooting her dark glances as he cinched his belt and threw his jacket over his bare chest. When he brushed past her to leave, he said, “It was fun while it lasted, Ten. I’ll give the Hyuga’s your regards.”

Tenten pressed her finger on the trigger. Inhaling deeply, she moved it away, watching as Sasuke slipped out the front door. She waited until the door closed behind him before she laid the gun down carefully on the floor, her eyesight blurring with hot, hateful tears.

“You’re okay. You’re okay,” Tenten whispered to herself, shoving her hands into her armpits to keep them from shaking.

**-x-**

“Tian, Tian, Tian.”

Kiba Inuzuka, Detective Lee’s desk-mate, sighed loudly, irritated. “If she hasn’t called you back by now, Lee, she isn’t interested,” he advised.

Lee flashed him a grin. “That’s not what this is. Tian is the significant other of the Hyuga company’s youngest COO, Neji Hyuga.”

“Hey, I know him! You’re trying to steal her away from _him_? Lee, you dog.”

“No,” Lee said, his eyes scanning the search results on his computer. “She looked familiar when I met her at the Hyuga offices. But I couldn’t seem to place. . .” He trailed off, losing himself in the results. Next to him, Kiba shook his head and turned back to his own work.

As Lee reviewed the information in front of him, he couldn’t shake the feeling he’d gotten at the office building—that he’d seen Tian before. On a hunch, he’d reviewed all the security footage of the night of the break-in again, but once more, it had yielded no results. So, to the police database Lee went; it had never failed him yet.

However—Lee glanced through the headshots—even the database had not yet given him what he’d been looking for. The Tian he had met had no records to speak of: no car registration, no prior offenses, no fingerprints or birth certificate or passport—a virtual impossibility.

Lee sat back in his chair, thinking. His eyes wandered over to the wall clock, and he jumped to his feet, reaching for his dark green jacket.

“I forgot—I have a lab appointment,” he said to Kiba. Lee began to walk towards the precinct entrance. He stopped mid-stride halfway out the door, and turned on his heel, racing back to his desk.

“Back so soon?”

“I had an idea,” Lee said, typing away on his keyboard. “Will you monitor this for me, please? I won’t be gone long.”

“What is it?” Kiba called out as Lee once again moved to leave.

“A face-match search. Just check and see if I get anything worth using.”


	13. Chapter 13

**-xiii-**

Following Sasuke’s comment about the Hyuga’s, Tenten had stepped up her surveillance of the Hyuga home. That week, as Tenten was out surveying the Hyuga’s neighborhood for anything suspicious, she ran into Hinata by chance.

“Oh! Tian!” Hinata said in surprise, stopping short. She was dressed warmly in sweats, her hair pulled back from her face. “What are you doing here?”

_Fuck_ , Tenten thought. She forced an easy smile onto her mouth and replied, sounding disappointed, “Neji told me to meet him here, but he’s been so busy dealing with the break-in that I think he forgot about me.”

Hinata frowned and glanced at her watch. Tenten tensed, hoping that Hinata wouldn’t press too hard on her story.

“I think he’s still at the office with my father. He was going to drop him off when they were finished with their meeting,” Hinata said, glancing back up at Tian. “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better, you’re not the only person he’s forgetting lately.”

Tenten raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Hinata sighed, clearly flustered, her cheeks reddening in the cold. “It’s nothing, really. Neji’s just been very distant lately. I assume it’s because of the break-in, but who knows.” Her eyes searched Tian’s carefully for a moment. “How does he seem to you? I’m sure you see him more often than I do, these days.”

Tenten pushed down her concern. “He seems stressed and overworked,” she said plainly. “I’ve hardly seen him in the past week. He’s been at the office almost constantly.”

Hinata sighed again, heavily. She crossed her arms, her eyes flitting over to stare at the obscured Hyuga home a few yards way. “It’s all Father’s fault. He’s been blaming Neji incessantly since the break-in.”

Tenten felt a surge of indignance at Hiashi Hyuga. _Why didn’t Neji tell me his uncle was blaming him?_ she thought. Aloud, she said slowly, “But Neji didn’t do anything wrong. He’s been doing his best to cooperate with the police on everything.”

Hinata shook her head. “My Father doesn’t know how to express himself well. He’s been so stressed lately—and he tends to take it out on Neji—he always has.”

“Why? Neji’s practically running the entire company,” Tenten said, feeling protective.

Hinata thought for a moment in silence. “Well, I suppose it’s because Neji has always done a better job.” She shrugged. “In some ways, Neji’s the perfect fit for the company’s ideals and its demands, even more so than Father.”

“But Neji hates his job,” Tenten blurted out.

Hinata released a small smile. “I know. That’s why Father gets so infuriated with him. Life is funny, isn’t it?”

Tenten did not reply, not trusting the heated thoughts running through her brain. Hinata peered at her closely and set a hand on her arm. “Are you alright, Tian?”

Tenten resisted the urge to brush off Hinata’s hand, fighting back the surge of emotion that rose up within her chest. “I’m . . . fine,” she said, thinking of the lonely last few days, running back through her mind Sasuke’s assault. She smiled tightly, trying to make it look convincing. “I just miss Neji. That’s all.”

Hinata smiled at her sympathetically and patted her arm. “I’m sure he misses you too.”

Tenten nodded once and gestured towards the gate to the Hyuga home. “You should head back home. It’s getting dark out, and I don’t feel right leaving you out here by yourself.”

Hinata assented, claiming the cold was too much for her, and began walking back towards the compound.

As she typed in the code on the keypad, Hinata turned to Tian and said warmly, “Would you like to come in and wait for Neji inside? I don’t think he and Father will be much longer at the office.”

Tenten shook her head, smiling politely. “No, thank you. I should go home and get some work done.”

Hinata nodded and stepped through the opening gate. She waved and turned to walk up the drive. Tenten waited until the gate moved securely back into place before turning on her heel to leave.

**-x-**

“This whole business with the break-in—it hasn’t been a good image for the company.”

Neji looked at his hands, folded together on top of the conference table. When he and Hiashi made no response, the board member continued, “Are you sure there was nothing taken? It seems so unlikely.”

Neji glanced up, frowning. “Are you implying that we’re keeping something from the shareholders?”

The board member blanched, shaking his head. “No, of course not, Neji. It’s just a very mysterious business.”

“I have a police detective working on it. We’ll find out who it was and what they were looking for.”

Next to Neji, Hiashi moved irritably in his chair, discomfort on his lined face. “How dare you suggest we’re not doing all that needs to be done? It was my company that was broken into—my name that has been disgraced. I am tired of all these—” He paused, gasping as he clutched his left shoulder.

“Uncle?” Neji said, getting to his feet.

Hiashi shook his head, his mouth opening and closing in shock. Neji grasped his elbow, his thoughts turning to sludge as he tried to discern what was happening. Hiashi looked at Neji, his eyes wide with fear.

Neji looked over to the board member and said in a rushed, commanding tone, “Call an ambulance!”

**-x-**

Tenten was looking through the files from Neji’s office computer again when she received the news. Her phone—tuned to all news of the Hyuga’s and their company—lit up with notifications.

Aloud, Tenten read, “‘Hiashi Hyuga hospitalized.’” She stared at the headline for a moment, her thoughts moving slow.

A moment later Konan called, but Tenten didn’t answer. She dialed Neji’s number, getting to her feet to pace. The call went straight to voicemail.

Tenten reviewed the news articles until she found the name of the hospital. She grabbed her jacket and put on her shoes, heading over to the front door before halting, her hand pausing on the doorknob.

It was likely the hospital staff would not admit her to seeing the Hyuga’s, being that she was neither related nor had a _real_ reason to be there. Tenten looked down at the phone in her hand and tried Neji again—like before, it went to voicemail.

_Should I try Hinata?_ she wondered. Swallowing, Tenten tapped onto Hinata’s phone and pressed the phone to her ear. Hinata’s cheerful voicemail began, _“Hello, this is Hinata Hyuga. I’m unable to answer—”_

“Fuck everything,” Tenten muttered, ending the call.

She turned slowly on her heel, pressing her back to the front door as she looked listlessly around Neji’s apartment.

**-x-**

Neji watched Hinata quietly cry in the waiting room. It was incredible, really, how her eyes produced tears—she hadn’t ceased brushing droplets from her cheeks for hours it seemed. Next to her, Naruto held her other hand, his thumb circling steadily over her skin.

The doctor had come into the waiting room only moments before, to say that Hiashi was awake and able to receive visitors for the time being, but not too many. Hinata and Hanabi had been mulling over this news for the last few moments, neither seeming ready to go and speak to their father.

Hinata cleared her throat and lifted her gaze, catching Neji’s eye. “Neji, would you go see him first? Please?”

Neji stared at her for a long second before resolving himself, getting to his feet and walking over to his uncle’s hospital room. He knocked once and stepped inside.

He was immediately struck by Hiashi’s resemblance to his father, in his last days. He felt his mouth move, forming the word ‘Father’, but stopped, clenching his jaw.

Hiashi’s eyes followed Neji as he moved to the chair set beside the hospital bed. “How are you feeling?” Neji asked gently.

Hiashi shook his head, looking with distaste at the assortment of wires running out of his skin. “I suppose as good as can be expected, in this condition.”

“Hinata and Hanabi are very worried,” Neji said.

“As they should be.”

Neji stared down at his hands, his fingers curling into fists, resting calmly in his lap. From the hospital bed, Hiashi cleared his throat, annoyed by the incessant beeping of the machines surrounding him. “Can’t a man die in peace,” he muttered under his breath.

Neji sighed, glancing up to stare at his uncle. “I wouldn’t tempt fate like that, if I were you.”

Hiashi shook his head and coughed violently. Wordlessly, Neji poured him a cup of water and held it out. Hiashi’s hand shook as he accepted the cup, draining the water in one swallow.

“The doctors expect you to make a full recovery, given that you make some overdue changes to your lifestyle,” Neji continued, pouring his uncle another cup. When he held it out, Hiashi brushed it away grumpily, turning his face to look out the dark window.

“Tomorrow I need you to attend the meeting with the insurance adjusters in my stead.”

Neji stared at him. “Uncle, I’m not going to any meetings. You’re in the hospital—you just suffered a major heart attack.”

“Clearly I’m still alive. If you don’t go, without a doubt, they will hike up our rates. Conference call in if you don’t want to leave the hospital.”

Neji closed his eyes for a moment, summoning patience. Slowly, he said, “The company can come second for once in your life, Uncle. Focus on regaining your strength and adhering to the lifestyle changes the doctor has suggested.” He got to his feet to leave, but Hiashi stopped him with an outstretched hand.

“I will never understand why you treat your position with such disgust. You will use every excuse, won’t you?”

Neji turned back. “What are you implying?”

“You’ve never liked your job—not when I asked you to consult over Father’s shares and business contacts, not when I asked you to stay on permanently, not when I made you COO. Your girlfriend is certainly a distraction, though I wouldn’t place the blame completely on her. Your head is up in the clouds half the time, always wishing you were elsewhere.”

“You know that I never expected to stay with the company this long. If you have such an issue with how I handle things, I wonder why you haven’t fired me,” Neji replied crisply.

Hiashi waved this away, gazing at Neji with focus. “You seemed lost after Hizashi died. I was trying to pull you back from the brink you were headed towards.”

“By making me COO? That wasn’t what I needed.”

Hiashi exhaled a long, low breath. “I did what I thought was best at the time. When you experience loss, the best way to deal with it is to keep yourself busy. It gets easier to manage after a while.”

“I don’t agree with you. If anything, I’ve become more miserable since he died.”

Hiashi shrugged, studying his nephew carefully. “Happiness isn’t everything, Neji. Duty, family, responsibility—these are the things that matter most in life.”

Neji shook his head, at a loss for what to say.

“Hizashi also had trouble understanding sacrifice,” Hiashi continued. “I tried to show him—I took on the responsibility for the company so that Father would get off his back. He went to university and studied for a useless degree that gave him permission to get lost in his books and wander in museums. And where did it get him? In a grave, at forty-eight.”

Neji flinched. “I’d rather you not insult him to my face,” he said quietly, after a long pause.

“Insult him?” Hiashi said, his forehead furrowing. “I would never dare. Hizashi was always the person I was closest to. I would have done anything for him. I _did_.”

“I find that hard to believe when you speak of him so disrespectfully,” Neji said tightly.

“Neji,” Hiashi began, coughing again, “who do you think provided for your education? Do you really think your father could have afforded university with his paltry salary?”

Neji’s face flamed. “I had a scholarship,” he snapped.

“Of course. A measly scholarship that didn’t even cover half of a year’s tuition. Hizashi called me as soon as you got the acceptance letter—he had no qualms in asking me for help.” Hiashi sighed, looking again to the beeping machines. “But then again, my brother was a humble man. Far humbler than I.”

Neji stared at Hiashi, at a loss for what to say. His father had never told him of his uncle’s hand in his education. _Why didn’t he tell me?_

Hiashi looked at him, his expression softening a little as he said, “You were an investment. I’ve been trying to make good on my returns and keep you from wandering the aimless path that my brother took. You have too much potential, and I don’t want it wasted.”

“Father wasn’t aimless. He pursued what he loved,” Neji responded limply, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“He did,” Hiashi agreed, with a nod. “Sometimes I envy him that.”

The door behind Neji opened and a nurse stepped in, smiling between them. Feeling their conversation was ended now, Neji slipped back out into the hallway, saying over his shoulder, “I’ll send in Hanabi and Hinata.”

**-x-**

When Hinata and Hanabi returned to the waiting room almost fifteen minutes later, Hinata sat beside Neji, her expression bemused.

“What did you talk with Father about?” she asked.

Neji stared at her. “Why?”

“Because he just asked Hanabi and I to call his lawyer. He wants to make a change to his will.”

Neji sat back in his chair, rolling his eyes. “He’s being very presumptuous. He’s not dead yet.”

“Neji,” Hinata began in an uncharacteristically sharp tone. Across from them, Naruto lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “Father is in no state of mind or health to discuss business. If you were—”

Neji treated her to an offended glare. “Hinata, you should know better than to think I would ever try and talk to your father about business. Especially after something like this.”

She sank back into her chair, exhaling heavily. She pressed her hands to her eyes, shaking her head. “I don’t understand what’s going through his head. We asked him how he was, and he just asked us to get his lawyer on the phone. What could he want?”

“He’s probably putting in a footnote about how all of my shares will transfer to you and Hanabi upon his passing,” Neji muttered, only half-serious.

Hinata glanced at him, shocked. “Neji, would he really? Did the two of you argue again?”

Neji sighed. “No. We talked about—about my father.”

Hinata cocked her head, intrigued. “What about him?”

Neji looked down at his hands. “Their differences. Their relationship. Things like that.”

Hinata waited, searching his face. When he did not continue, she murmured, “You’re hiding something from me.”

“No, I’m not, Hinata,” Neji said and got to his feet, walking quickly towards the elevator bay to get some fresh air.

His phone buzzed with dozens of notifications as he stepped out into the cold, dark night. He’d left it on silent while inside, but he hadn’t gotten good service inside the hospital. With a heavy sigh, Neji glanced at the screen. There were dozens of missed calls from Tian.

“Dammit,” he said. He’d been so preoccupied since that afternoon, when his uncle had had the heart attack in the conference room, that he’d forgotten to notify her.

Flinching a little from guilt, he dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring. “Neji, are you alright?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call,” Neji began, running a hand down his face. “My uncle—”

“I know,” she said quickly. “It’s all over the news.”

“ _What?_ ” Neji said pointedly, tapping in a search on his phone. Sure enough, a handful of headlines appeared, proclaiming Hiashi Hyuga was in serious condition at a local hospital. “Fucking unbelievable!” Neji shouted, anxiety building within his body.

Tenten stilled at his outburst, her heart clenching with worry. “Neji—what’s going on?”

Clearly distraught, Neji let out another spiel of curses under his breath. From her place in his apartment, Tenten got to her feet, walking to the door to put on her shoes. “Which floor is he on? I’ll come—”

“No,” Neji said, sighing heavily. “Don’t.”

Tenten’s chest panged with disappointment. _Why not?_ she ached to ask. “Okay,” she said softly, clutching her boots tightly. She listened to Neji’s breathing, wishing she could reach through the phone and take him into her arms.

Finally, he said, “I’m sorry. I—”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Neji,” she murmured, closing her eyes as she leaned against his apartment door.

“I’m. . . I’m just. . .”

“Overwhelmed?” Tenten supplied. Neji was silent, and Tenten tried to imagine him, his skin pale, eyes tired. After a beat, she said gently, “Why don’t you go back inside with Hinata and the rest of your family? Whenever you come home, I’ll be waiting for you.”

Neji felt some of the weight in his shoulders leave at this. He couldn’t recall ever feeling so grateful for such a small gesture of kindness. “Alright,” he said quietly. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Tenten hung up and slid down the door to sit on the floor.

Across town, Neji mechanically put his phone back on silent and walked back inside.

**-x-**

A little after three in the morning, Neji was shaken awake by Hinata. “Neji,” she said, her tone harsh, “it’s Father.”

Neji got to his feet and followed her to the room’s doorway. The lights were all on, and a cluster of people in scrubs were crowding the room. His uncle’s chest was bare, a defibrillator attached to his skin.

Hinata squeezed Neji’s hand so tight that his fingers went numb within seconds. They watched, in stunned silence, as the team of hospital staff tried to resuscitate Hiashi Hyuga. But after several long, unsettling moments, Neji saw the energy leave the staff’s eyes, and the movements of their hands slowing, faces growing dull.

The doctor, who had earlier made such a strong proclamation that Hiashi would recover, announced his death, glancing glassy eyed at the clock on the wall.

Hinata sucked in a sharp breath and wailed, tears flowing down her cheeks. She pressed her face into Neji’s chest, her body racked with sobs.

Neji slowly wrapped his arms around his cousin and stared hard at his uncle’s body, so like his father’s. “But I didn’t get to ask him everything,” he said to no one.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Sexy stuff!

**-xiv-**

The next few hours passed in a slow, chaotic haze. Neji and Hinata broke the news to Hanabi, Naruto, and the rest of the gathered family. They all sat in shock for a while. But it was not long before the questions began: Who was responsible for the company? What were the contents of Hiashi’s will? Who would notify the board members, the shareholders, the public?

Neji ignored the curious look Hinata threw him. In silence, he held out the phone number of Hiashi’s lawyer to a relative.

Hinata snatched the phone number from their grasp, her expression angrier than Neji had ever seen it. “Must we do this now? My father just died. Wait until the morning.”

Wisely, no one pointed out to her that morning had already come; a bleary, wintry gray one.

Neji closed his eyes, but sleep did not come. Moments later, Hinata got him onto his feet, already beginning to discuss funeral arrangements. Neji nodded through the entire conversation, barely listening, submitting to his cousin’s wishes. Hanabi gazed at her elder sister, a lost look in her eyes.

Finally, as the morning stretched on and the hospital became busier, Hinata submitted to moving their planning to the Hyuga home. Neji rode in the backseat of Hinata’s car, trying to tune out Naruto’s even tone as he comforted his fiancé.

“I’ll understand, Hina,” Naruto was saying. “It’s your decision.”

Neji sensed the tired disappointment in his cousin’s voice as she answered, “It’s a shame, really. All this work—and now the person I respected the most won’t get to share it.”

Neji pressed his forehead to the window and blearily watched the buildings pass by. By the time they parked in the driveway, cars already lining the block, Hinata and Naruto had decided to postpone their wedding.

With a sigh, Neji followed his cousins and Naruto inside, his eyes burning from lack of sleep.

Someone had called the lawyer on the way to the house—he awaited them in the dining room, a briefcase clutched in his hands.

“My condolences,” he began when everyone of importance was assembled. “I will read the will in its entirety, and then answer questions.” He unfolded the paper and commenced reciting the will’s contents.

The first few paragraphs dealt with small chunks of land that Hiashi had gifted to various nephews and nieces, as well as personal possessions he deemed important, which he’d given to his daughters. In particular, he had awarded Hinata and Hanabi an equal portion of his shares in the company, as well as provisions for their future children, should they ever have any. Hanabi and Hinata’s trusts remained, free to access whenever they chose.

As the lawyer neared the end of the page, he glanced up, capturing every eye. “I will now read Hiashi Hyuga’s decision concerning the future of Hyuga Development Company.”

The room held its breath. Neji looked down, studying his palms in detachment.

“Hiashi Hyuga has chosen Neji Hyuga to be executor of his last will and testament. This position gives him the right to make fiduciary decisions on behalf of the deceased, as well as manage the distribution of the will’s contents.” The lawyer glanced at Neji, studying him for a moment before ending, “Hiashi Hyuga has given the position of CEO of Hyuga Development Company and its subsidiaries to Neji Hyuga. This decision is effective immediately.”

Neji blinked, unable to summon enough surprise to lift his head to make eye contact with anyone. Next to him, Hinata whispered under her breath, “I knew it.”

**-x-**

Hours later, Neji finally untangled himself enough from his family and their questions and their judgmental stares to return home. He slipped in quietly, stiffly removing his shoes. Tian appeared, sticking her head out from the kitchen. She approached him, her features flooding with relief.

Tenten grasped his shoulder, eyes searching his face. “Are you alright?”

Neji smiled tightly, his lips pressed together in a thin line—in a way that Tenten immediately knew he wasn’t well. She drew him into her arms. “You look like you haven’t slept at all,” she murmured, tightening her grip.

“Not a lot of time for that,” he said softly, sighing into her neck.

Tenten was alarmed at the tension in his shoulders. She wound a hand into his hair at the base of his neck, massaging it with her fingers.

Neji emitted a small sound at the pressure, then relaxed slightly, some of his stiffness loosing.

“What happened?” Tenten whispered, unable to tame her curiosity any longer.

“We were in a conference room discussing the company’s reputation, since the break-in,” Neji began faintly. “And then he got to his feet, holding his chest. An ambulance took him to the hospital, and he seemed fine. . . And then he wasn’t.” Neji paused, his breathing irregular. “It was like watching my father die all over again.”

Tenten let her hand fall from Neji’s neck, pulling back so she could see his face. His expression broke her heart; he looked so lost. _What do I do?_ she asked herself.

Neji moved away from her, walking sluggishly to his couch. Feeling the need to busy her hands, Tenten started making tea, something she used to do long ago when she was stressed, before she took up the occasional cigarette to relieve her anxiety. She fixed the tea hurriedly and brought it over to Neji, holding it out like an offering.

Neji accepted the mug but didn’t drink, his eyes unfocused as he stared blankly at the wall. Tenten sank down next to him, watching him for a sign. After a few moments, she plucked the mug from his hands and set it on the coffee table, pulling him into an embrace. “I’ve got you,” she whispered, barely audible in the quiet apartment. She held him in the dark, silent, until daybreak.  
  


**-x-**

  
The funeral came together quickly. Tenten hardly saw Neji over the course of the following days; he was too busy making arrangements with his family. She ignored all of Konan’s calls.

The wake came and went, and the funeral proceeded the next day, as was customary. Tenten made herself scarce during the cremation, looking at the lines of her palms in the funeral parlor’s sitting room as she waited for Neji. She couldn’t discern anything of interest; when Neji appeared, he grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.  
They stopped by a convenience store on the way back, grabbing something small to eat. Tenten watched Neji mechanically select a package of soba noodles, his favorite.

**-x-**

He was silent the entire way back home. Tian tried to elicit some response, but Neji either gave a noncommittal jerk of his head or no answer at all. When they reached his apartment, Tenten moved to the kitchen, feeling the need to do something.

“Are you hungry?” she asked Neji softly, reaching for their convenience store bag.

Neji shook his head and walked out of her sight, headed towards his bedroom. After hesitating for a moment, she followed him.

Neji was sitting on the edge of his bed, his eyes unfocused as they stared out the window. Tenten hung in the doorway, unsure if she should enter. She ached with helplessness, debating with herself about leaving, wondering if he wanted space. But she didn’t want to leave him alone.

Tenten knew little about comforting people. She’d never been coddled, never had a mom and dad to kiss her hurts or hold her hair back from sick or hug her when she cried. Working for Akatsuki had taught her to never let her emotions out, to stay in control at all costs, to keep moving.

That wasn’t what Neji needed—hell, she didn’t even know where to start with this. But she knew what she would want, if she were in the same situation.

Slowly, she walked over to him, lifting his head with her hands. He met her eyes, and Tenten’s heart panged with the disoriented look he gave her. She bent down and kissed him, gently, lazily, savoring the feel of his mouth against hers.

A switch flipped. Neji pulled her down onto the bed, throwing her on her back. He reached for the zipper of her dress, heatedly kissing her mouth, her neck, earlobe. Tenten helped him take off her dress, and Neji cast it onto the floor carelessly, already undoing her bra.

Tenten scrambled to undo the buttons on Neji’s shirt, but he pushed her hands away, pinning her arms above her head as his mouth ghosted over her nipples. Tenten’s skin erupted with a shiver, and she shuddered, panting, as Neji moved to press the growing warmth between her legs.

“Neji,” she sighed, struggling against his hold, wanting to push her hands into his hair, drag her nails down his back. He kept going until she cried out, begging. He shed his pants and determinedly pulled her to him, leaning down as he moved inside her.

Tenten pried open her eyes to watch him, head buzzing with the rush. Neji stared back, his eyes determined and serious. He held her gaze until he released, fisting his hands in the bedsheets.

He twisted onto his back, arm thrown over his face as his chest rose and fell quickly from the exertion. Tenten swallowed, her skin prickling with desire. Tentatively, she spread her hand over his chest, leaning over to place feverish, breathy kisses along his sweat-salty skin. Neji sighed and pushed his hand into her hair, bringing her face to his.

“Thank you,” he whispered. Placing a chaste kiss on her mouth, he turned his head and instantly fell asleep.

**-x-**

Tenten spent the night curled against Neji’s side. In the morning, she woke with the sun on her face, streaming through the window. She turned to see Neji next to her, still asleep.

Smiling to herself, Tenten shifted closer to him, reaching up to lightly trace his features with her fingertips. She leaned down and softly pressed her lips along his throat and jaw. He stirred, his hand coming up to shield the sun from his face.

Tenten draped herself over him, relishing the feeling of his warm skin. Still, half-asleep, Neji grasped her hips, guiding her body onto his.

Halfway through her climax, Neji opened his eyes and watched her, heavy-lidded. Tenten slowed as the surge of pleasure ebbed, breathing deeply. She kissed him until he was fully awake, wrapping herself around him as he pushed her onto her back.

They passed the morning with lazy kisses, fingers trailing over rippling skin. Finally, Tenten whispered, “Are you okay?” She stared down at him, brushing her hand over his cheek.

“Just overwhelmed,” he replied, closing his eyes as he wound a hand into her hair. He paused, then said in a mystified tone, “He made me CEO. Before he died.”

Tenten stilled, staring hard at him as her breath caught in her chest. She swallowed quickly, pushing aside her unease. “He did?” she said, wincing at the sound of her voice.

Neji let his hand move from her hair to trace her spine with his fingertips. Tenten shivered from his touch. “He did,” Neji confirmed.

Tenten exhaled and leaned down to place a kiss on his nose. “What do you think you’re going to do?” she asked.

Neji opened his eyes slowly, an amused smile touching his lips. “There isn’t a choice for me to make. He put it in his will.”

Tenten studied him for a moment before saying, “You always have a choice, Neji.”

A shadow of sadness crossed his face. He pressed his face into her shoulder, slipping an arm around her waist. Tenten wound her arms around his neck and held him close, nestling her face into his neck. For the moment, she pushed away her racing thoughts and relaxed into his arms.

**-x-**

“How did the funeral go?”

Tenten sighed and sank down onto her futon, fidgeting with her bangs. She’d only just gotten back from Neji’s. Outside, the moon hung low in the sky. “As good as can be expected,” she answered.

Konan was quiet for a moment, clearly waiting for Tenten to elaborate. When she didn’t, Konan said, “You went back to his apartment after the funeral yesterday. And you left an hour ago.”

Tenten winced. _Damn hallway cameras._ She knew what Konan wanted, of course—details of Hiashi Hyuga’s will, the fate of the company.

Tenten thought of Neji, in her arms only hours before, and felt sick to her stomach. With some trepidation, she murmured, “He made Neji CEO before he died.”

Konan let out a breath. In a rush of delight, she said, “He did? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“This is wonderful news,” Konan said, sounding pleased. “When will it be announced?”

Tenten closed her eyes, trying to recall the feel of Neji beside her, his fingers making lazy circles on her skin. “He didn’t say.”

Konan didn’t seem to mind Tenten’s lack of details. “I’ll speak with you soon for further instructions.” She hung up without another word.

Tenten lowered the phone from her ear and stared at it for a long time, trying to put away the deep-seated guilt she felt in her heart. Struggling with her thoughts, she wandered into her mold-infested bathroom and looked at her reflection in the cracked mirror.

Her hair was mussed, half falling out of her hair ties. Her mouth was a deep red, swollen from kissing. She thought she could detect the ghost of a hickey on the underside of her jaw. Tenten swallowed carefully, studying her wild, flushed face. She still felt the thrill of being with him underneath her skin. All she wanted to do was to rush down to the nearest train station and go back to him. All she wanted was to hear his voice for another moment, feel his fingers on her skin, relax into his presence. To forget everything that came before.

Tenten gripped the cheap laminate of her bathroom countertop. “I love him,” she whispered to her reflection, her breath catching in her chest. “I’m in love with Neji Hyuga.” The fear in her eyes made her shudder.


	15. Chapter 15

**-xv-**

It took several days before Lee’s facial recognition search concluded its findings. He watched the news junket as he drank his coffee—a press release had just been given that Neji Hyuga would assume leadership of Hyuga Development.

Lee studied the picture of Neji that the news flashed onscreen—it seemed to be a dated photo; when Lee had met him, Neji’s face had more wrinkles than the fresh-looking man on the television. _Or maybe that was the stress_ , Lee thought graciously.

As the news shifted to covering other topics, Lee turned back to his computer, steeling himself for the long process of facial identification.

The photo he’d used of Tian he had taken from the company’s video recordings; Neji had given him unrestricted access. The snapshots of her were not particularly good—nothing like a headshot. The lighting was poor, casting part of her face in shadow as she entered from the elevators. Then her hand obscured the rest of her face as she had pushed away her hair from out of her face as she approached Neji’s office.

The only passable shot Lee had been able to lift from the video feed had been when he’d called out to her as she’d left—she had turned to him, frowning slightly, right underneath a light fixture.

_Though she does look considerably paler in this one than in real life_ , Lee mused, beginning to click through the first few returns of candidates.

The algorithm had not had much to work with, Lee knew. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen Tian’s face somewhere before. Taking another sip of coffee, Lee dived into his work, barely able to contain his excitement.

**-x-**

Neji’s first meeting as CEO was with Hiashi’s lawyer, the man who had delivered the news of the will.

Neji had refused to move from his office to the executive suite—though he considered it in passing, purely for the view. Moegi, having received the news of Neji’s new position only after his arrival that morning, had spent all day trying to get ahead of the learning curve.

On his way to the conference room, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. Neji glanced down—it was Detective Lee, again. Neji had yet to listen to his numerous voicemails from the past couple of days; things had been too chaotic. Neji dismissed the call, resolving to call the officer back after his meeting with the lawyer.

When he arrived, Hiashi’s lawyer was already seated at the table. He nodded to Neji as he entered, waiting until he sat down across from him to speak. “I trust you are adjusting well?”

Neji resisted the urge to laugh. He shrugged instead, offering a polite smile. “As good as can be expected.”

The lawyer nodded in acceptance and turned to his briefcase, withdrawing a sealed package. Pushing it across the table to Neji, he said, “Hiashi gave this to me a few months ago. I’ve kept it in a safe deposit box. I do not know its contents—Hiashi sealed them before he gave them to me.”

Neji examined the packet, half-listening as the lawyer continued, “Whatever financial debts or credits Hiashi had at his time of death, you will now be responsible for handling. I would advise you to settle all debts, if any, before those listed in the will receive their inheritance.”

Neji broke the tape seal, sighing tiredly as he glanced through the pages. The first few sheaves of paper seemed only to contain detailed information about property that Hiashi had willed to some of his nephews and nieces. Neji cast this aside, delving deeper into the pile.

What he saw on page ten made him white with shock. He looked up at the lawyer, his eyes widening. The lawyer stared back flatly.

Neji glanced back at the paper and read the entire page, flipping irritably to the next, and then the next, and the one after that. When he finished, he again focused on the lawyer, trying not to gape. “You’re—” Neji cleared his throat and began again, “You’re _sure_ my uncle never mentioned the contents of any of these documents to you?”

“Being that I have not read them, I couldn’t say for sure.”

“Did. . . He never mentioned anything to you about—”

The lawyer held up his hand and interrupted, “Mr. Hyuga, I must advise you not to discuss with me anything within the contents of those documents. While I was a close friend and advisor to your uncle, you and I do not have the same relationship. My job was to simply deliver these documents to the successor to Hiashi Hyuga, not discuss them.” He got to his feet, closing his briefcase. “I give you my best wishes, Mr. Hyuga.”

Neji said nothing, staring down at the hole his uncle had dug.

**-x-**

**_Come over._ **

Tenten needed little incentive to obey. She was at his apartment within the next thirty minutes, anxiously biting her lip as he opened the door. Neji reached for her, and she fell into his arms, all shades of deception falling at her feet as she kissed him.

They didn’t speak for the next hour or so. Finally, lying under the sheets, her fingers in his hair, Tenten asked, “How did today go?”

Neji shook his head apathetically.

“Bad?” Tenten prompted, moving to lift his jaw, searching for his gaze.

Neji opened his eyes, but they were unseeing, trained on the ceiling. “Nothing worth talking about,” he muttered, shifting onto his stomach to press his face into her neck.

Tenten exhaled, sliding an arm around him. She waited for a few moments before asking, “Do you want to talk about anything?”

“No,” Neji whispered.

Tenten tightened her grip around him, wishing she knew what was going through his head. She let the silence fill in around them, threading her fingers through his hair.

Faintly, she said, “Did I ever tell you that when I was sixteen, I tried to teach myself how to ride a motorcycle?”

Neji shifted in her arms, saying against her throat, “Back to the dangerous stunts? Why did you do that?”

Tenten chuckled softly. “Why does anyone do anything at sixteen? I wanted to be cool.”

Neji sighed, his palm sliding up to cup her breast. “When I was sixteen the most daring thing I did was get wasted at a party once and sneak back into my house.”

Tenten hummed, smiling. “I must say I’m surprised. I didn’t know you had a rebellious streak.” She felt his lips stretch, forming a smirk.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. I felt guilty for days afterward and eventually told my parents.”

Tenten snorted, shaking her head in bewilderment. “Oh, Neji,” she exhaled, relieved at the tension fading from the room.

After a brief pause, Neji said, “You have lived a far more interesting life than me.”

Tenten frowned, letting her hands rest on his back. “I wouldn’t say all of it has been interesting. There were times when it was particularly shitty.”

“Like when?”

Tenten’s mouth tightened, thinking of Sasuke. She tried to shake what he had done from her mind, but the memory was fresh. _That has no place here_ , Tenten thought firmly. _This is mine and Neji’s space._

_But he should know. You should tell him_ , said another part of herself, deep within her heart.

Tenten considered, twisting a lock of Neji’s hair around her finger. Her resolve shaky, Tenten said, “One time, a guy that I knew . . . he waited for me, where I lived at the time. He, you know, tried to force me. . . But I tasered him.”

A beat of silence stretched between them. “You never told me that,” Neji said finally, looking up at her through the darkness.

Tenten carefully avoided his gaze, glancing towards the window to allow one weighty tear roll down her cheek, unseen. “It happened a long time ago,” she said.

**-x-**

“Now that Neji Hyuga has been made CEO, our plan should go more smoothly than it has in the last few months. We should accelerate our plan.”

Konan’s mouth tightened, but she said nothing. She’d heard little from Tenten over the last week. Ever since the funeral, she’d neglected to call or text Konan back, apart from the single phone call where she told her the news of Neji’s assumption as head of the company.

“What news, Konan? From Tenten?”

Konan shook her head and answered, “She has nothing out of the ordinary to report. Neji Hyuga is adjusting to his role as CEO, as one can imagine.”

Her colleagues nod at this, though she can tell from a glance around the room that they are slightly disappointed.

“As for Sasuke?”

Konan’s frown deepened. “Sasuke has proven difficult to get ahold of, but he has his instructions.”

There is an exasperated sigh from the head of the table. “Is he going to go rogue again?” the voice muttered flatly, unimpressed.

“That’s hard to say,” Konan said. “His reports have been sporadic since the break-in . . . but I have video footage that placed him at Tenten’s apartment a day or so before Hiashi Hyuga died.”

“What was he doing there?”

Konan remained silent, withholding the scene she’d lifted from the video feeds installed in Tenten’s apartment.

“Why don’t we get rid of him? He clearly only wants to be of use to us when it goes in his favor,” said another with impatience.

“Sasuke is good at what he does,” the head of the organization maintained. “Like all of the people we use, he needs to be molded to fit into our purposes.” He turned to Konan. “What do you think? Has Sasuke outlived his usefulness to us?”

“Uchiha's never outlive their usefulness,” said a quiet voice.

Despite herself, Konan smiled.

**-x-**

Neji’s eyes grew unfocused as he stared at the financial reports in front of him. The longer he looked at the numbers, the more distressed he grew.

Neji sighed heavily and leaned back into his chair, closing his eyes tiredly. His office phone beeped and Neji reached out, picking it up. Moegi’s voice said, “Your cousin Hinata is on the line. Should I put her through?”

“No,” Neji said, a twinge of guilt in his gut. “Tell her I’m in a meeting.”

“Yes, sir,” Moegi replied.

Neji hung up and cracked open his eyes, wincing from the burning sensation. He’d been barely sleeping, barely doing anything, really, other than review Hiashi’s business decisions from the last decade.

Neji exhaled again and got to his feet, wandering over to his office window. He rested his forehead against the cool glass, feeling momentary relief. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Hoping it was Tian, Neji reached for it.

It wasn’t Tian, but Hinata who had messaged him. **_I know you’re avoiding me. You can’t be in that many meetings in the course of four hours, even if you are CEO._**

Neji frowned, wondering for the thousandth time if his cousin was upset over her father’s decision to make him executor and CEO over her. He had yet to ask her—Hinata was right; he’d been avoiding her ever since his meeting with Hiashi’s lawyer.

Neji swiped away Hinata’s message, not bothering with a reply, determining that he couldn’t explain himself without divulging her father’s secret. And if Neji had any say in it—which he most certainly did—Hinata would never have to hear of it.

Neji wiped a hand down his face, thoroughly exhausted. He checked his watch—seven-forty-five pm. He glanced over his shoulder at his desk. The pile of things to sift through, to sign, to commit to memory immediately overwhelmed him.

Neji’s hand strayed to his phone again, wanting to call Tian. _Stop_ , Neji thought. _You know exactly what will happen if you hear her voice._

With another heavy sigh, Neji sat back down at his desk and pulled another sheaf of documents over, resigning himself to a few more hours of work before heading home.

**-x-**

**_I’ve been generous, Ten. Time to prove which king you’re going to sacrifice yourself for._ **

Tenten stared down at the message, hatred filling her chest. The message was from an unknown number, but there was only one person who it could be from.

In a combative mood, she furiously typed back, **_You’re putting everything Akatsuki wants at risk. Do you really think they haven’t noticed your sick obsession?_**

Sasuke did not deem this with a reply. Tenten glared at his words, her stomach sinking.


	16. Chapter 16

**-xvi-**

“Konan?”

“It’s about time you returned my calls, Tenten,” Konan replied, disgruntled.

Tenten frowned, pressing her lips together tightly. “We have a problem.”

“And what might that be? Other than the fact you’ve gone AWOL the past week?”

Tenten picked at a loose thread from her jeans, thinking carefully over how much she wanted to divulge. “Sasuke is going to tell Neji about the operation.”

There was silence on Konan’s end of the line as she considered this. Tenten waited, fidgeting. Finally, Konan said, “Why would he do that?”

“Why does Sasuke do anything he does? Because he’s a sick fuck,” Tenten replied sharply. “He’s been threatening to tell Neji everything. And something he said a few weeks ago about Hinata Hyuga has been bothering me. I think—”

“That sounds like an empty threat to me, Tenten,” Konan interrupted.

Tenten clenched her jaw. “It’s not empty.”

“Oh, really? How so?”

“Look,” Tenten began firmly, “Sasuke’s had it out for Neji since Hinata’s engagement party, and now he’s trying to ruin everything. Don’t you care? He’s putting Akatsuki’s interests in jeopardy!”

“Honestly, Tenten, you’re the one who’s been disregarding Akatsuki’s interests.”

Tenten’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Your self-indulgence with Neji Hyuga—I know all about it. And I have the footage to prove it.”

Tenten’s face flamed, thinking of the evening she’d let Neji into her apartment.

Konan went on, “I won’t continue with this, Tenten. Once this assignment is finished, we will discuss if Akatsuki still holds a place for you.”

Tenten felt her chest tighten in apprehension and embarrassment. “You’re firing me?”

“Not yet,” Konan said. “Your job isn’t finished. You’ve mentioned before that Neji Hyuga has no desire to work at Hyuga Development—has that changed since he became CEO?”

“No,” Tenten answered softly.

“We have decided to make an offer for Hyuga Development. We would like you to convince him to put the company up for sale.”

“Neji hasn’t talked about selling the company at all,” Tenten stated.

“Then perhaps you should get to work on persuading him to that line of thinking. It shouldn’t be too hard, considering. Are my instructions clear?”

Tenten swallowed, unease roiling in the pit of her stomach. “Yes. But what are you going to do about Sasuke, Konan?”

Konan sighed heavily. “Sasuke Uchiha knows his place, which is more than I can say for you. Just focus on your job, Tenten.”

Her remark stung, and Tenten pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “If he tells Neji, it will all be over and Akatsuki won’t get what they want.”

“Sasuke isn’t stupid. He would never betray Akatsuki just to manipulate you.”

Tenten wasn’t so sure, but she didn’t reply.

“If the deal goes badly, it will be on your head, Tenten. Do you understand me?” Konan said.

Tenten blinked, her eyes lifting to the ceiling. In the shadows, in the corner of the wall by the windows, her eye caught on a small, discreet camera. She stared at it for a long moment, filtering through what Konan had said earlier about video footage of she and Neji.

“Tenten?” prompted Konan.

Tenten felt her blood begin to boil in her veins. They had seen it—how could they have not? They had seen every moment of Sasuke’s entry into her apartment, his cruel demands and taunts, his attack. _I’ve been such a fool._

“Understood,” Tenten finally released, her body burning with fury.

**-x-**

“What if we went away? For the weekend?”

Tenten anxiously watched Neji glance up from his laptop, his fingers paused over the keyboard in mid-message. “Go away for the weekend?” he repeated, brow furrowing.

“Yes,” Tenten said, trying not to fidget. “You’ve been through a lot the last few weeks. I thought . . . you could use some time away.” She swallowed, pausing. “And I’d like to spend time with you. Just us.”

Neji pursed his lips and looked around the room, thinking. Tenten continued, sensing his reticence, “It’s important to take time for yourself after a big change, Neji. You’ve been working yourself ragged ever since your uncle died. Just . . . step away from it all for a weekend. With me.”

She watched Neji mull over these words. Her tension eased as he got to his feet and walked over to her, releasing a minuscule smile. He leaned down and kissed her gently, his hands brushing back her hair. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much lately. All of this . . . has been an adjustment,” he sighed heavily. “But you’re right—let’s disappear for a few days. Where do you want to go?”

Tenten couldn’t help the smug smile that graced her mouth. “I know just the place.”

**-x-**

Once, when Tenten was fourteen, the matron of the orphanage had taken all of them up north, to a park for a picnic. It was more of a mountainous forest, really, complete with hiking trails, scenic views, and a hot spring.

The day following her conversation with Konan, while Neji was at work, Tenten took a northbound train and booked a hotel. She paid with cash, not trusting the credit card Akatsuki had given her to use for her expenses. As she stepped out into the bright, spring sunshine, noting some of the snow still on the ground, Tenten sucked in a deep breath, feeling some of her anxiety ebb as she thought of Neji.

_I’ll get him to give up the company to Akatsuki, and then we’ll run away_ , she thought, a surge of fierce protectiveness flooding her body at the thought. _I’m going to keep him. No matter what._

**-x-**

In preparation for her weekend away, Tenten began to frantically check her video feed from outside the Hyuga home. Cars came and went, but Sasuke didn’t show. _Y_ _et_ , Tenten told herself. _It’s only a matter of time until the snake leaves his hole._

After checking in with Hinata, Tenten felt marginally better leaving the city—Naruto and Hinata were planning to spend all weekend reconstructing their wedding plans.

“My list is a mile long at this point,” Hinata told Tian over the phone later that evening.

Tenten hummed in sympathy. “When I get back Sunday evening I can come over and help if you want,” Tenten offered, surprised as the words left her mouth.

“Could you?” Hinata asked hopefully. “I wouldn’t ask, but . . . I’ve been so distracted since Father died. I could use a few more brain cells.”

Tenten’s heart panged. “Of course,” she said firmly. “I’m not sure how much help I’ll be, but I can try.”

Hinata audibly sniffled and Tenten’s forehead furrowed in concern. “Thank you so much, Tian. I—you don’t know how much that means to me.”

Tenten brushed away an insistent tear at the corner of her eye. “Don’t mention it,” she replied, her throat tight.

**-x-**

After days of trying, Lee finally got ahold of Neji Hyuga. Moegi, his assistant, put him through, her tone encouraging.

When Neji answered the phone, Lee could instantly sense the weight the man was carrying. While the news he had to share was by no means light, Lee hoped it would bring Neji some relief.

“Mr. Hyuga, this is Detective Lee. It’s nice to finally speak to you again after such a long time.”

“You’re calling about the break-in?” Neji asked, diving in. “Unfortunately, Detective Lee, I have much bigger issues on my plate now.”

“Of course. I was saddened to hear of your uncle’s passing. Were you two very close?”

Neji hesitated, then said, “In a way, yes. What news do you have for me?”

Lee cleared his throat, glancing at the matched face on his screen, then at his notes. “You’ll have to forgive this intrusion, Mr. Hyuga. I don’t like to get involved in personal matters, but I thought you should know what I’ve discovered.”

Neji’s end of the line grew heavily silent. “Know what?”

Lee steeled himself for the lengthy conversation to follow. “Does the name Tenten mean anything to you?”

**-x** **-**

Despite her apprehension at leaving Hinata, Tenten nursed a semblance of excitement as she assembled an overnight bag for her weekend retreat with Neji. As she zipped up her bag, her gaze flitted over to where her Akatsuki-issued laptop and phone were lying on the floor. She would trash them on the way out. She had no plans to use them again—had no plans to return to this apartment, even. Walking towards the door, Tenten cast a quick eye around, looking for anything she’d missed or wanted to take with her.

The bareness of the room struck her and she sighed. _I can’t believe I let Neji in here_ , she thought, shaking her head. She gathered up her things and stepped out into the building hallway and locked the door, suppressing the urge to flip off the Akatsuki camera nestled in the corner. She settled for a smirk and disappeared into the stairwell.

**-x-**

Moegi was on a phone call when Tenten exited the elevator on the eighth floor. She smiled at her, and Moegi grinned cheerily, waving her towards Neji’s office.

Tenten knocked and poked her head inside, unable to keep the smile off her face as she said, “Ready to go?”

Neji was leaning back in his chair, facing the window. At the sound of her voice, he glanced over his shoulder. His expression made Tenten straighten as she slipped inside, closing the door gently behind her.

Neji shifted and slowly turned to face her. Tenten gripped her bag tightly, sensing the tension in the room. “What’s wrong?” she asked, breathless.

Neji’s mouth pulled severely to the side—an angry slash. “I spoke with Detective Lee earlier. He told me some interesting news.”

Tenten’s blood chilled in her veins. She feigned nonchalance. “Oh? About the break-in?”

Neji’s eyes pinned her to the spot, seeing through her. Tenten felt sick to her stomach. “About you.”

Tenten didn’t respond, chewing anxiously on the inside of her cheek. She felt blood on her tongue.

Neji continued, his gaze unwavering, “He told me that he ran a background check on you—standard protocol for something like this, where the culprit most likely knew the victim. He said that your name didn’t match any records, no identification, no school reports, nothing—other than a few looped websites that were clearly fraudulent.”

Tenten swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, wanting to throw up.

“He ran you through face-match software instead. What came up was a report at least two pages long, as well as documentation of a served house-arrest sentence, completed less than a year ago.” Neji paused, the anger in his face shifting slightly towards something else, something closer to disbelief. “Tian isn’t your real name, is it?”

_Here we go, then_ , she thought in defeat. Tenten shrugged limply. “Not exactly. It’s the root where my name comes from.”

Neji sank further into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What’s your real name?” he asked after a moment.

Tenten bit the inside of her cheek again, her eyes flitting around the room for something, anything to turn this around. “Tenten,” she said finally, looking back to Neji.

Neji sighed, his eyes narrowed. “Tenten,” he murmured, testing it in his mouth. “Do you want to explain what it is you’re trying to steal from my company?”

Tenten winced. “Technically,” she began with a sigh, “I’m the middleman.”

“The middleman?” Neji clarified.

Tenten nodded carefully, her eyes darting to Neji’s before looking away again.

“Who hired you?”

Tenten pressed her lips together and gave a noncommittal jerk of her head. She held a finger to her lips and quickly strode over to Neji’s desk. He moved out of her way, getting to his feet as he watched. Wordlessly, Tenten scoured the room, checking underneath Neji’s desk and his bookcase for listening equipment Sasuke might have planted during the break-in. She found what she was looking for on a low bookcase shelf—a porcelain figurine of a raven. Tenten took hold of it, and without any further explanation, shattered the figurine against Neji’s wall. She picked through the remains and grasped the listening device. Mechanically, Tenten cracked open the casing, pulling out a few wires to disable its functionality. Tenten looked back up at Neji.

He looked stunned, eyes trained on the ruined equipment in her hands. Slowly, he said, “You had me under surveillance?”

Tenten didn’t respond, clutching the device tightly to keep her hands from trembling.

Neji’s expression swiftly turned thunderous. “It was you? You were responsible for the break-in? How?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t break into your office . . . technically. I—someone else planted this.”

Neji stared at her hard. “What do you mean ‘technically’?”

Tenten gestured to his computer. “While you were gone on your business trip, I—Moegi let me in. I accessed your company ledger.”

Neji’s face flooded with color. He bowed his head in thought; Tenten watched his mind race, trying to figure out what had been accessed, what had been tainted. In a soft voice, she said, “I don’t think they could use any of it. . .”

Neji glanced up, eyes fiery. “Why did you pick me?” he asked in frustration.

“I—I didn’t,” Tenten stammered. “I was . . . assigned to you.”

“Who assigned you?” Neji snapped.

Haltingly, she said, unsure how to answer, “An organization. . .”

Neji fixed her with a harsh glare. “Cut the bullshit. Tell me who’s responsible for all of this.”

Tenten paused, her mind racing for the right words, for a way to salvage some part of her reputation and tell the truth. “Their name is Akatsuki. You—you haven’t heard of them before, have you?”

Neji shook his head.

Tenten continued, “They keep a low profile, but they’re a powerful agency. They—I’ve been working for them, off-and-on for almost ten years.”

“Doing what?” Neji asked.

Tenten blushed a deep red. “Different things.”

“Fine,” Neji spat, a flash of annoyance passing over his face at her hesitation. “You knew about the break-in, then?”

Tenten sucked in a breath, lowering her eyes. “Yes.”

Neji looked at her, a livid flush rising to his cheeks. “You organized it?”

Tenten shook her head. Neji paused, searching for a lie, then went on, “But you knew who was responsible? You knew before it happened?”

Tenten chanced a look at him. He was looking pointedly away from her, his jaw clenched. “Who was it?” he asked, barely above a whisper.

“I—”

“Tenten.” Neji turned to her again, eyes blazing. “Tell me.”

Tenten tapped her foot in anxiety. With apprehension, she said, “Sasuke Uchiha.”

Neji’s face shifted towards fury. He glanced around his office, clearly imagining Sasuke walking around, going through his things. His gaze wandered back to her, incredulous. “You sold me out to Uchiha.”

Tenten took a few steps toward him, hands clenched into fists. “I would never. Neji, I hate him. They track my phone. All the access I have to you they used—they didn’t tell me anything about the break-in. I didn’t realize it was them until it was already done. You got up that night to leave and I just knew. They didn’t tell me anything about what they were looking for, or why Sasuke did it.”

Neji considered her, his mouth pressed into a thin line. He said in a distant tone, “You know, usually I have good judgment—for people, for business. But you completely blindsided me.”

However glowing a recommendation that was, it didn’t make Tenten feel any better. Neji was quiet for a moment, clearly sifting through the questions he wanted to ask. Finally, he said, tone heavy, “How long?”

Tenten looked down again, shamefaced. “You won’t like the answer.” She glanced at him from underneath her eyelashes—he was waiting, stony-faced. Inhaling a breath, she asked resignedly, “Do you remember when all of you went with Naruto to that strip club? To celebrate Kiba Inuzuka’s birthday?”

Neji blanched at this, looking at her with wide eyes. “How do you know about that?”

Tenten fidgeted, her fingers reaching up to touch her bangs, before falling back to her side. “Because I was there.”

Neji stared at her in shock. He deduced, slowly, “The woman. From the bar. And—”

Tenten nodded. “It was how I hacked your phone.”

“I was the target?”

Tenten swallowed past the lump in her throat, shaking her head. “No. It was your uncle the whole time. . . But things changed when he died.”

“So, you were using me the whole time. To get to him.”

Unbidden, Tenten felt her throat constrict with emotion. Neji clutched his forehead, his face pale with shock. “I can’t believe this,” he said after a moment. “You orchestrated everything, didn’t you?”

“No,” Tenten replied adamantly. “Not everything.”

“Then what? You don’t try to ruin people’s lives; it just happens naturally for you?”

“That’s not—listen, Neji, after I screwed up my last assignment, they put me on probation for five months. I was on house arrest the entire time because my last job ended badly and Sasuke Uchiha made me take the fall. Five months of doing nothing, being nothing. Talking to no one, seeing nobody. And then they gave me this and it was supposed to be easy. You were supposed to be this uptight, boring businessman who would be easy to manipulate. But you weren’t. You . . . you were the opposite of all those things. And I—” Tenten stopped at the hitch of breath in her throat, staring at him.

Neji looked back at her coldly. “You what?”

“I—I love you,” she whispered, deflating.

Neji gazed at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. He walked over to stand in front of her, eyes unwavering. He swallowed then said, “You deceived me. You lied to me. You planned to steal from me—ruin this business that’s been in my family for generations, sell who knows how many secrets—and you have the audacity to tell me that you love me?”

Tenten looked down, breaking away from his intense stare. Neji’s hand stretched out and grasped her chin, lifting her gaze once more to his.

Tensely, she murmured, “It was me. There were times where it was me. The real me.”

“And everything else?”

Tenten frowned. Neji muttered, seemingly to himself, “This isn’t real.”

“I want it to be.”

Neji considered her, eyes roving her face for a trace of a lie. He shook his head and turned away, walking slowly back to his desk. “How much of it was a lie?” he continued, as if she’d said nothing.

Tenten winced, her chest aching at the growing distance between them. She ran her fingers through her bangs, ignoring the way her hand shook. “Most of it,” she admitted.

Neji studied her, his expression flat. “Who are you really?”

Tenten sifted through her mental rolodex of excuses and stories, but nothing was close enough to explain the person she’d seen reflected in the mirror. “I don’t know how to answer that,” she said finally.

Neji glared at her. “It’s a simple question.”

Tenten shrugged feebly. “Nothing about me is simple.”

They stared at each other for a moment, weighing the other’s expression. Neji shook his head again, beginning to pace the room, his eyes roaming as his thoughts raced.

“It wasn’t supposed to end like this,” she said softly.

“Oh, really?” Neji replied sardonically, glancing at her sharply. “Things haven’t gone according to plan?”

Tenten willed herself to look at him; his harsh gaze knocked the breath out of her. “No,” she whispered. “They haven’t.”

Neji stared at her for a moment, his expression serious and injuring. “Everything from you has been a lie, hasn’t it?”

Tenten shook her head. “No, not everything.”

“Then tell me what was true. What were you actually honest about?”

Tenten opened her mouth to let out a string of excuses, but none came. Instead she said lamely, “It was my job, Neji. It wasn’t supposed to be personal.”

“Well you made it that way, didn’t you?” He turned away from her. In a saddened, exasperated voice, he said to the window, “Why does everyone lie to me?”

Tenten stood in silence, watching him. Her throat ached from suppressing the emotions tearing through her chest. She blinked and felt a few tears slide down her cheek. She said after a beat, “I don’t want to lose you.”

Neji scoffed, his expression disconcerted in the window’s reflection. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you lied to me for six months,” he replied stiffly. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “So, your plan was to lure me away this weekend and . . . what? Have someone break into my office again? Access the company’s accounts and liquidate our assets?”

“ _No._ I—all they want is for you to sell off the company. That’s the only thing they want—the holdings and the financial assets. I don’t even want to work for them anymore—they’re planning to fire me as soon as this job is finished.”

He didn’t believe her. She could see it in the lines of tension in his shoulders, the way his gaze skipped over her and returned with each new, cruel revelation. She walked quickly to his side, invading his line of sight. Fiercely, tears spilling down her face, she said, “What do you want? I’ll do everything I can to give it to you.”

Neji treated her to a sharp look, his tone clipped as he replied, “I want you to take it all back. Can you do that?”

Tenten deflated. “You know I can’t. I wish—I wish that I’d never come into your life, and you’d never come into mine. But I can’t. These are the cards I’ve been dealt.”

She’d never seen him look so angry. He said loudly, “You’ve ruined me. Do you understand that?” Neji laughed coldly. He fixed her with a smirk, a distraught gleam in his eyes. “It’s so ironic. There’s nothing to take.”

Tenten stared at him, uncomprehending. “What do you mean?” she replied slowly.

“All the millions of dollars you were planning to steal—none of it exists. We’re bankrupt, as a company.”

Tenten’s heart shuddered in her chest. “How—how is that possible?”

Neji exhaled and walked away from her, resuming his pacing. “Fifteen years ago, my uncle made some risky personal investment choices that never panned out. They were all private acquisitions—things that he kept off the books and holdings. No one knew. When he died, the money he owed was defaulted; when he took out the loans, he put the up company as insurance.”

Tenten watched him shrug, unease growing in the pit of her stomach. Neji continued, “I have to sell off some of our biggest properties. To pay off the debt. There won’t be anything left, save for the trusts that belong to Hinata and Hanabi.”

_Why did he keep this from me?_ she wondered, with a flare of disappointment and hurt. Immediately, Tenten felt a surge of shame at expecting such a thing when she’d deceived him the entire time she’d known him. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest, mulling over this news and what it meant.

Neji turned back to her, an eyebrow raised. “You’re the only person who knows any of this, besides me.”

Tenten raised her eyebrows. “That’s not true. I’m sure you have a whole team of lawyers on this. And Hinata and Hanabi have to know.”

Neji shook his head, holding her gaze. “You’re the only one.”

“You’ve been keeping this all to yourself since he died?” she asked in disbelief. “Why? Aren’t you suffering?”

Neji shrugged, glancing dully at her. “Collateral damage.”

Tenten stared at him, her heart thumping in her chest. “Are you going to pin this on me somehow? Is that your angle? I’d deserve it, after all I’ve put you through.”

Neji seemed to weigh this option. He moved back over to her, his expression softening slightly as his eyes roved over her face. “You want to go back to jail?” he posed.

Tenten grimaced, leaning back against the window. Outside the sun waned in the sky. “I wasn’t _in_ jail. I was on house arrest.”

The corner of Neji’s mouth lifted in a small hint of amusement. He stepped closer to her, reaching out to brush back a piece of her hair.

Tenten seized her chance, whispering, “I want this. It’s the only thing I want.”

Neji smiled cynically, his hand falling to his side. He gestured between them. “I thought we had something real. But I don’t even know who you really are.”

“We do, Neji,” Tenten said, her voice cracking. “I’m real—Tenten is real.” She winced at the gnawing ache in her chest. “That night—that night that I took you to the museum, that was me, not Tian. All of the stuff I told you about dangerous stunts—that was me.”

Neji sighed tiredly. “No more lies, Tenten.”

“It isn’t a lie. I love you.” She could see the hesitation in his face, and she took hold of his shoulder, desperate to get through to him. “I want the real thing with you.”

Neji’s head dipped with exhaustion. His eyes were bleary from lack of sleep, face wan. “I want to trust you,” he murmured, his lips hesitating above hers.

Tenten caught his eye. Hoarsely, she said, “I’m sorry. I—I’ve ruined my reputation in that regard.” Her fingers quivered as she lightly ran her thumb over his throat.

“What if I chose to anyway?” he asked, tilting his head toward her.

Tenten blinked fast, dispelling the tears gathering in her eyes. Neji brushed his lips against hers slowly, in no hurry. Tenten wished it could go on forever, this feeling of suspension, tucked away in solitude with the only person she’d ever cared about enough to tell the truth. She slid her arms around his neck, drawing him closer, deepening their kiss. Neji pressed her back against the glass, his hand holding her neck.

After a moment, their intensity ebbed. Neji pulled back from her, eyes closed as he leaned his forehead against hers. In a broken voice he said, “You’re making this harder for me than I want it to be.”

Tenten swallowed past the lump in her throat, heart heavy. “I’m sorry. For everything,” Tenten whispered. “Tell me what I can do to fix it. Please.”

Neji didn’t answer, threading his fingers through her hair, holding her to his chest. Tenten clung to the moment, her grip tight, not wanting to let him go.

But after a few seconds passed, Neji eased away from her, breathing heavily, his gaze wild. “Why did you do this?” he exhaled, sounding disoriented. “I want to redo the last few months.”

Tenten’s lips formed a bitter half-smile. “That’s impossible, Neji.”

“Is it?”

Tenten watched him, her face burning—with a blush from kissing him, with shame for hurting him. He paced away, hands on his hips as he thought. Silence settled between them again. A long moment later, he stopped in his tracks and glanced at her curiously. “What if we both could get something out of this?”

Tenten gazed back, something fluttering in her gut as she watched his mouth. “I’m listening.”


	17. Chapter 17

**-xvii-**

**_Time’s up, Ten._ **

Tenten stared down at the text message, her skin prickling with fear.

“Tenten?”

She looked up and met Detective Rock Lee’s gaze, eyes wide, mind racing. She got to her feet and Detective Lee mirrored her, his hand straying to the cuffs on his belt.

“I have to go,” Tenten said in a rush.

Detective Lee raised his bushy eyebrows. “We’re in the middle of an interview, Tenten. Where do you have to go?”

Tenten glanced back down at the text message, her pulse quickening as she considered how fast she could reach the Hyuga home.

“I can’t explain right now; there isn’t time,” Tenten said, moving towards the conference room door.

“If you leave now, I’ll have no choice but to arrest you,” Detective Lee said firmly, crossing the distance easily with his long legs. He set his hand on the doorknob, staring at Tenten seriously.

Tenten felt her face flush with indignation. “If I don’t leave now something terrible is going to happen to Hinata Hyuga,” she spat, heart thudding in her chest.

She didn’t know if it was the desperation in her tone, or if Detective Lee was simply intrigued, but when he gave a simple nod and opened the door for her, Tenten felt a rush of affection for him.

As they passed Neji’s office, Tenten suddenly halted, her heart lurching as she peered in at him. Neji’s head was bowed, his hands covering his face in defeat. On instinct, Tenten set her hand on the door handle.

“Tenten?” Detective Lee said, catching her eye. “Does Neji Hyuga need to accompany us as well?”

Tenten lifted her hand from the door, rapidly shaking her head. “No. He’s better off here.”

Detective Lee nodded once, and they walked briskly to the elevators where Tenten began to detail everything she knew about Sasuke Uchiha.

**-x-**

All was quiet at the Hyuga home when they arrived. Following their conversation, Detective Lee had called his partner for backup. If she hadn’t been in the throes of concern, Tenten would have laughed at seeing Kiba Inuzuka arrive, looking very much the same as he had that night, six months prior, at the strip club. His gaze passed over her easily, none-the-wiser. _Maybe that stupid wig worked out okay_ , Tenten thought humorlessly.

They waited almost an hour before Tenten finally spotted movement in the shadows near the Hyuga gate. She pointed it out to Detective Lee beside her, and he nodded once, his hand coming to rest on the gun at his belt.

When Sasuke’s familiar form emerged from the darkness, Tenten disregarded all of Detective Lee’s previous instructions to her. She stepped out and walked swiftly up to the gate, hearing Kiba Inuzuka swear softly behind her.

Sasuke turned, raising an eyebrow at her as she approached, seeming neither surprised nor pleased. A moment passed as they considered each other, before Sasuke finally asked, “Where’s Hyuga? Isn’t he supposed to be attached at your hip?”

Tenten rolled her eyes. “He’s working.”

“What a surprise,” Sasuke replied drolly, moving closer to her. “Then why are you here? You’ve finally come to the conclusion that begging is your only option?”

Tenten pushed down a wave of revulsion. “I don’t beg for anything, Sasuke.”

Sasuke cocked his head at her. “Not even for Hyuga? You must not like him as much as I first thought.”

“This doesn’t have to do with him,” Tenten said firmly. “I know what you’re planning to do to Hinata Hyuga.”

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow in mild surprise. “Oh, really? And what might that be?”

Tenten crossed her arms. “You’re here to kidnap her for ransom, aren’t you?”

Sasuke shifted against the gate, holding Tenten’s gaze for a long moment before smiling. “What a horrible thing to accuse someone of, Ten.”

“I’m not playing games with you anymore,” Tenten replied sharply. “This fucked up chess game we’ve been playing ends tonight.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “That’s a very presumptive declaration for a pawn to make.” He crossed his arms, gaze unwavering. “These are orders, Tenten. Akatsuki wants Hinata Hyuga as security for the sale of Hyuga Development. Don’t worry—not a hair on her head will be harmed.”

“You’re not taking her anywhere. If Akatsuki thinks Neji would ever sell the company over these kinds of terms they’re insane.”

Sasuke shrugged, unconcerned. “It’s merely an incentive. From your intel, it’s clear that they’re not speaking regularly. He probably wouldn’t even notice for a few days.”

Tenten’s face burned at her involvement. “I’m not letting you take her.”

Sasuke studied her carefully for a moment before withdrawing his phone, clipped to his belt. “We’ll see. Don’t you realize I can call Hyuga right now? If you confess everything over the phone, I’ll tell Konan where your loyalty still lies.”

Tenten gritted her teeth. “I already told him, you asshole.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Sasuke’s face. “You did?”

Tenten nodded and turned her face away.

“Let me guess,” Sasuke said after a moment of contemplation, “he broke up with you?”

Tenten said nothing, thinking of Neji’s conflicted face the last time they spoke. Sasuke laughed, shaking his head. “What did I say, Ten? You got too attached to the assignment. What are you going to do now? Hyuga rejected you, you’re on the verge of being a traitor to Akatsuki. You’re right back at the place you’ve always been—alone and unwanted, by everyone.”

Tenten pushed away the sting his words brought.

Sasuke went on, moving closer to where she stood, “I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s better that you’re alone. When you involve other people in your affairs, it makes things more complicated. When you’re by yourself, you have no one to answer to, no messes to clean up, nothing to clarify.”

Tenten felt tears bud at the corners of her eyes, thinking back to her months of loneliness before Neji, before Hinata and Naruto. Her chest ached at the possibility of returning to that kind of life once more. _I don’t want to be alone_ , she said to herself.

Sasuke snorted indifferently. “This mission has made you weak. Did Hyuga really screw with you so much that you’re not the same anymore, Ten?”

Tenten’s face flamed with indignance. Sasuke considered her in the dark, his lips lifting with mockery. “This was always your problem, Ten. You throw too much of yourself into your projects.”

“Why did you break into Neji’s office? What were you looking for?” Tenten pressed, ignoring the jab.

Sasuke laughed. “Something. Anything. But Hyuga clearly wasn’t that important to his uncle. There was nothing to take, nothing to see. No skeletons in the closet to speak of.”

_Except there was. You just didn’t find it_ , Tenten thought, crossing her arms. She leaned towards him, saying, “Maybe you weren’t looking hard enough.”

Sasuke sent Tenten a look, weighing her statement. “You know something,” he said softly, studying her curiously.

Tenten shrugged, turning away from him. “Maybe, maybe not,” she replied.

Sasuke scoffed. Tenten listened as he tapped his foot in thought. Finally, he said, “So, you’re here to barter. For Hyuga.”

Tenten faced him, her hands falling to her sides. “I’ll give you my information. But after that, you disappear, Sasuke. You leave Hinata and Neji and Naruto alone. No more interference. No more visits or surprises. I want you gone. For good.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, stepping closer to her. “You’re being awfully dramatic, Ten. You can’t erase the past. And I think both of us know that deep down, you and I are one and the same: orphans in the world, just trying to do their best, serve a cause, see wrongs righted. If Hyuga knew about half the things you’ve done for Akatsuki, he wouldn’t even be able to look at you.”

Tenten flinched. Her hand strayed to the handle of her pistol, tucked into the small of her back, in the waistband of her jeans. She wanted to refute Sasuke’s claims, to list all the ways she knew that Neji would forgive her and grant her a second chance. But she couldn’t, because she was still uncertain if he would. From the corner of her eye, she thought she could detect Lee and his partner creep through the darkness towards them.

Sasuke continued, dark gaze piercing, “Face reality, Tenten. Neji Hyuga’s not in love with you. He’s just a boring businessman that you only like because he represents normalcy. But you don’t even want to be normal, do you? You like the thrill and the adrenaline of this life. You like fucking people up. You like putting yourself first. You should be thanking me for stepping in.” Sasuke chuckled. “Get your head out of the clouds, Ten. You’ll never have anything real with Neji Hyuga, and no amount of bartered information is going to change that.”

Tenten’s fingertips touched the handle of her pistol. “So, you aren’t interested in making a deal, then? What do you want, Sasuke? If it’s not Naruto you care about, or the Hyuga’s, then what are you after?”

“Nobody has what I want,” Sasuke spat, glaring at her. “But you can’t deny that there’s something linking us together, Tenten. We’re supposed to work together, because we bring out the real person inside both of us.”

Tenten grasped her pistol and edged it out of her waistband, staring hard into Sasuke’s eyes. “There’s nothing between us, Sasuke. You just like getting high over controlling and manipulating other people.”

“And you don’t?” Sasuke retorted. “The entire time you’ve been with Hyuga, you’ve been lying to him. You’re in denial, Ten. We’re the same, and we always will be.”

There was a click and Sasuke peered behind Tenten, squinting through the darkness. Kiba Inuzuka’s gun was trained on Sasuke’s chest. At Tenten’s shoulder, Detective Lee held out his arms in an appeasing gesture; a set of cuffs glinted in his hands.

“On your knees, please, Sasuke Uchiha,” Lee said in a soft, but firm tone.

Sasuke looked at them for a second before turning back to Tenten, an eyebrow raised in amusement. “Really, Ten? This is what you resorted to? For revenge? I’m disappointed.”

In a flash, Tenten withdrew her pistol and cocked it at Sasuke’s forehead. “On your knees, you fucking asshole.”

Slowly, rolling his eyes, Sasuke sank to his knees, placing his hands behind his back. As Lee bent down to cuff him, Sasuke stared up at Tenten, shaking his head slightly.

Tenten kept her gun trained on him until she felt Lee touch her arm gently. “Your gun, please, Tenten.”

Tenten pulled her eyes from Sasuke’s, shooting Lee a look of confusion. Lee waited, his hand outstretched.

Swallowing, Tenten placed her pistol in Lee’s palm. He unloaded it and pocketed it inside his dark green jacket. Tenten felt a pang of loss.

“I guess you got what you wanted after all, didn’t you, Ten?” Sasuke said as Kiba crouched down to bring him to his feet.

Tenten frowned, staring at him. “Not quite.”

**-x-**

To say that Hinata, Naruto, and Hanabi were surprised to see Tian standing outside their front door, flanked by a police officer, was an understatement.

Hinata’s mouth fell open in shock, and she reached out to clutch Tenten’s hand. “Tian? What’s going on? I thought you were leaving for the weekend with Neji.”

“Something came up,” Tenten frowned, glancing at Lee.

Detective Lee took a step forward, giving them a bright, reassuring smile. “Good evening, Miss Hyuga. May we come in?”

Hinata looked from Tian to Detective Lee, confusion written on her face. “Yes,” she said cautiously, opening the door wider. “Please come in.”

**-x-**

Tenten had pleaded with Detective Lee to let her accompany his partner, Kiba, back to the precinct with Sasuke, but he had insisted she come in, stating that the Hyuga’s would feel at ease with a familiar face. Tenten could not have disagreed more, but when she said so, Detective Lee not-so-subtly implied that she was still technically detained for questioning.

Tenten sighed, studying her hands as she sat by the door in the Hyuga’s living room, half-listening to Lee explain the events of the evening. _Hell, even standing outside in the cold would be better than here_ , Tenten thought, chancing a glance up at Hinata.

Her lips were pressed tightly together, face stricken with concern as she gazed at Detective Lee, hanging on his every word. Next to her, Hanabi stared dully at the floor, her phone clutched in her hands. Naruto, however, was only looking at Tenten; his blue eyes inspected her fixedly. For a moment, she held his gaze, her anxiety spiking.

“I think it would be best if you three came along to the Hyuga offices,” Lee was saying. “Obviously there needs to be additional discussion with Mr. Hyuga about the company, and the threat that Akatsuki poses.”

Hinata frowned deeply. Offhandedly, she muttered, “Mr. Hyuga was my father. But if Neji is in danger, then we should go.”

She got to her feet and smoothed her skirt, eyes flitting to Tenten curiously. Naruto grasped her hand and led her out of the room to gather their things; Hanabi slowly followed.

Detective Lee turned to Tenten and smiled. “See, Tenten? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Tenten shook her head and stood, jaw clenched tight with tension.

**-x-**

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Neji sighed, avoiding his cousin’s piercing gaze. They were in his office, standing in front of the windows. Naruto and Hanabi had wandered off in search of a vending machine. Down the hallway, Detective Lee was still interrogating Tenten.

_Tenten_ , Neji mused, the heaviness in his chest shifting.

“I didn’t want to worry you,” Neji said aloud.

“Worry me?” Hinata whispered, shaking her head. “Neji, why would I worry about the company? You’re the one I’ve been worried about. Ever since Father died, you’ve completely withdrawn. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”

“I’ve been busy,” Neji muttered. “This—this hasn’t been the easiest thing to adjust to.”

Hinata let out a low breath. “Father did you a great disservice,” she said after a moment’s pause. “He shouldn’t have left you such a mess. He should have disclosed this to the shareholders ages ago.”

“I assume his pride wouldn’t allow him to do that,” Neji replied softly.

Hinata released a humorless chuckle. She crossed her arms, turning her eyes to the view outside Neji’s windows.

Silence fell between them, and Neji’s thoughts wandered again down the hallway, wondering.

“So,” Hinata finally began, “she lied to you?”

Neji flinched, mouth slanting into a strained frown. “She did,” he admitted.

Hinata mulled this over for a second before saying in a gentle tone, “She’s the one who prevented Sasuke Uchiha from kidnapping me. Detective Lee told you that, right? When we got here?”

“He mentioned it,” Neji said, swallowing.

Hinata’s eyes flickered up to him, an eyebrow quirked with an unspoken question.

“I don’t know,” Neji answered, running a hand down his face.

Noting the reluctance in Neji’s voice, Hinata glanced over her shoulder to survey his office. “Then, what should we do? We have no choice but to tell the shareholders now about Father’s business decisions. They could sue us.”

“They wouldn’t do that to us,” Neji said with certainty. “They know us—almost all of them are family friends who have known us since we were toddlers.”

Hinata did not look convinced. Neji continued, “If a lawsuit comes up, Uncle’s lawyer can vouch for me—that no one knew anything prior to Uncle’s death.”

Hinata sighed. “This is such a mess, Neji. What are we going to do?”

The answer, heavy on his tongue, tasted bittersweet. When he’d discussed it with Tenten, hours before, she’d nodded with conviction that it would work, that she’d do anything to help him succeed. Neji blinked and took a breath, pulling his eyes from the skyline to look at his cousin. “We’re going to sell the company to Akatsuki. The payout will cover the debt that Uncle owed, and perhaps provide a small dividend that can be given to the shareholders, since their shares are worthless now.”

Hinata stared at him, emotion contorting her features. “I always said I wouldn’t mind selling, but it feels worse to do it this way, Neji.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Neji replied. “Tenten assured me that Akatsuki would take this deal, if we act quickly. Everything she shared with them didn’t include Uncle’s debts—to them, we’re in good standing. The only people who know about it at all are you, me, and Tenten.”

“And she’d help us?”

Neji nodded once. “She would.”

Hinata took a careful breath and leaned her head against Neji’s arm. “I guess we should get to work calling the shareholders, then.”

**-x-**

It took a couple of hours to make all the phone calls and assemble everyone of importance into the biggest conference room Neji had to offer. Police officers, board members, and shareholders milled around the large room. There was only a mild semblance of confusion at this emergency meeting among the company members, but Neji quietly reassured them all, promising to explain soon.

Tenten had been relegated to a corner of the room, silently texting Konan back and forth. Detective Lee sat her elbow, reading over her shoulder.

Her eyes kept wandering to Neji. Several times, she caught his gaze. Their last kiss burned on her lips, inwardly wrestling with the possibility of more. She still couldn’t be sure of where his head was—they never did finish their conversation on the state of their relationship. Ever since they’d discussed their options concerning Akatsuki, his expression had become unreadable, a cool mask of indifference.

_How did he become so good at hiding from me?_ she pondered, her emotions stinging.

“I must commend you on a great effort,” said Detective Lee, drawing Tenten’s focus away from Neji.

Tenten didn’t respond, glancing down at her hands. “I didn’t do anything, besides create trouble.”

“I disagree. Hinata Hyuga would have fallen into Sasuke Uchiha’s hands, had you not intervened. I am sure the Hyuga’s are grateful.”

Tenten resisted the urge to laugh. “Grateful? Yes, I’m sure they’re very eager to thank me, Detective Lee.”

He caught her derisive tone and raised his bushy eyebrows. “Why wouldn’t they? You are an integral piece to this plan succeeding.”

Tenten flinched, shaking her head. “I’m just a pawn.”

Detective Lee considered her, his gaze steadfast. “A pawn? That would imply a chess game. Which board are you playing on?”

Tenten stared back at him, frowning. Her gaze shifted back to Neji as she whispered, barely audible, “I only want to be on the board he’s on, Detective Lee.”

**-x-**

Thirty minutes before his announcement, Neji escaped from the conference room for a breath of fresh air. He slipped into the stairwell and took the steps two at a time until he reached the door to the roof. He burst out into the crisp, dark night air and breathed deeply.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to come up here.”

“Can’t you give me a moment of peace, Naruto?” Neji muttered, coming to stand next to the blonde. “This is about to be one of the worst days of my life, after all.”

Naruto turned to him, his eyebrows raised. “I thought you would be happier. You’re getting everything you wanted.”

“Not quite,” Neji replied, looking down at his hands.

Naruto hummed in thought, looking down at the streetlights. “You could give her another chance. Sometimes people make bad decisions.”

“She lied to me for six months, Naruto. She was using me.”

“But you love her,” Naruto replied, glancing at him.

Neji didn’t answer, eyes on the shapes of the dark buildings surrounding them. Naruto went on, “People break your heart, that’s just part of being human. People hurt us and we hurt them, but at the end of the day, we have the choice to make if we’re going to let that hurt divide us, or if we’re going to work together to build a bridge over it.” Naruto shrugged. “It’s your choice, Neji. But she seems sorry. Why don’t you give her another shot?”

Neji wondered how much Naruto would be giving him this advice if he knew the whole story. “Do you regret it?” he asked Naruto pointedly. “Forgiving Uchiha?”

Naruto smiled sadly. “Sasuke’s done some unforgivable things. But I hope someday that he and I can be friends again, after he’s had time to reflect on his decisions.”

“Why do you still value his friendship?” Neji pressed. “He was planning on kidnapping Hinata to force my hand; he stole all of your inheritance. How far does he have to go before you’ll say no more?”

Naruto stared back at Neji seriously. “Real forgiveness forgets the past—it moves forward, not back.” He paused for a second, thinking. “I know you think I’m a fool, for treating him as well as I have. But . . . we’re all fools who forgive; we know exactly how people will use us, hurt us, lie to us—and we keep letting them in until we decide not to anymore.”

“She’s already made a fool of me,” Neji said, “and I haven’t even decided what to do yet.”

Naruto mulled this over. “Well, better a fool in love than only a fool.”

Neji glanced at him, then at his watch. He grasped Naruto’s elbow, pulling him towards the stairwell. “Let’s go. It’s time.”

**-x-**

Tenten watched as Detective Lee stood to call everyone to order, politely asking for those still standing to take their seats. Hinata sat at the long, polished table, her eyes unfocused. Tenten wished she could go over and apologize, but she had no words to explain. She flushed, thinking of Neji and Hinata discussing her treachery.

Tenten’s gaze shifted to Neji. Moegi had brought him a fresh suit for the announcement. He looked incredibly pale and uncomfortable, surrounded by all these important figures. _But still gorgeous_ , Tenten thought to herself, swallowing as he reached for the coat on the back of his chair.

She watched as his eyes scanned the room and landed on her. Staring back at her intently, he slipped on his jacket and reached up to fix his tie, his expression incomprehensible. Tenten felt her body surge with a thrill as they looked at each other from across the room, desperately wanting to know what he was thinking, if the plan would work, if all her chances were ruined.

“Mr. Hyuga? Are you ready?”

Neji pulled his eyes from Tenten to look at Detective Lee, nodding once. Tenten watched him swallow, his fingers twitching with nervous energy. She clutched her phone tightly in her hands, her gut seizing with apprehension.

Neji cleared his throat and steeled himself. He glanced around the room once more, his lips pursing as his eyes passed over Tenten again. And then he began, looking at each of the assembled members. “As my first official act as CEO of Hyuga Development, I would like to announce that I am imminently putting the company up for sale. After discussing with Hinata and Hanabi, we have agreed to sell Hyuga Development, its assets, and other subsidiaries to a private buyer that has shown interest. The payout will be generous, and I believe it’s a fair assumption to say that each of your shares will reap some type of return.”

Neji took a breath, glancing down at Hinata. She quietly took his hand and squeezed it in solidarity. He went on, eyes skipping back to Tenten briefly, “I know this comes as a shock to most of you, but I have my reasons for this decision that as of yet, I’m not able to disclose. I hope that after years of investing with our family, watching Hinata, Hanabi, and I grow up and pursue our different endeavors, you will accept our decision, knowing that it’s the best for this company that our grandfather started so many years ago.”

The room was quiet as Neji took a step back from the conference table, his eyes flitting from member to member.

Finally, an older gentleman, sitting across from Hinata said, “You are keeping a secret, but will not tell us? Is there no option for the shareholders to purchase the company from the family?”

Detective Lee moved forward to capture the room’s attention. Effusively, he said, “Sir, it is imperative that Hyuga Development be sold to the private company Mr. Hyuga mentioned—this has become a matter of police investigation, as I’m sure you’ve gathered.”

“You called us here to ask for our silence, then?” the gentleman said, glancing at Neji with narrowed eyes.

“Your discretion,” Lee corrected easily. “Mr. Hyuga has drawn up a confidentiality agreement for each of you that will be binding until our investigation is completed.”

Murmurs broke out among the shareholders, the noise easily growing to fill the large room. Neji stood off to the side, his hands in his pockets as he gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows, ignoring the heads that swiveled to stare at him.

Hinata stood to her feet, and the room hushed once more. She looked around the room, her hands clasped earnestly in front of her. “I know this is a lot to ask of such good friends. Many of you we have known our whole lives, since we were children. Neji, my sister, and I have thought very hard about the future of this company, and our part in it. We hope that you can understand and place a little trust in us when we tell you that this is the best course of action, for everyone involved.” Shakily, she held up her hand. “As the second largest shareholder, I move for a vote to approve the acquisition of Hyuga Development, effective immediately.”

Tenten watched as the gathered members in the room considered each other for a moment. Then, the older gentleman who’d spoken slowly raised his hand, holding Hinata’s gaze. Around the conference table, shareholders began to raise their hands. Tenten had no idea how many shares the hands represented, but when Neji turned away from the window to survey them, she could see the evident relief in his face as he also lifted his hand.

“Motion passes,” he said softly.

Tenten felt her phone buzz in her hands and she quickly responded. There was a pause, and the conference room phone rang.

Neji, his shoulders tense, picked it up, saying, “This is Neji Hyuga.”

He listened for a long moment before catching Detective Lee’s eye and nodding once. Quietly, Detective Lee gestured for the officers in the room to launch their tracking equipment for the call. They nodded, heads bent together over their device.

The room was quiet, studying Neji’s face as he listened to Akatsuki’s proposal. Tenten looked down at her phone—Konan had only sent a single message since the phone had rung: **_If Hyuga accepts the deal, we will permit you to continue working for Akatsuki_**. She nervously nibbled on her fingernail.

Neji waited a beat, and then nodded again to Detective Lee. The huddle of officers tracking the call were hurriedly scurrying notes on pads of paper.

“Then consider it done. Should we have a public press conference, or—” Neji smiled to himself, seeming satisfied. “Yes, I understand. Then, I congratulate you on your acquisition. I will have the paperwork sent over to you right away.”

Neji waited another few seconds, then hung up, glancing at Detective Lee. “They agreed. Payment should be made by Monday.”

Detective Lee nodded and let out a thrilled yelp. Tenten smiled in relief and texted Konan back: **_No, thanks. I quit._**

**-x-**

Abruptly, it was all over. The confidentiality agreements were signed; the shareholders assured by Neji and Hinata that they would be notified of the business proceedings as soon as they were given permission to divulge it. The detectives packed away their equipment, and the police officers trickled out. The phone out in the lobby rang and rang, but no one answered—Neji had sent Moegi away hours before.

Tenten sat frozen in her chair, unable to move, uncertain about where she fit into all of this now that her small part was over. Neji was surrounded by a crowd of board members and shareholders, no doubt giving him an earful. Hinata stood at his elbow, half-listening, her hand tightly encompassed in Naruto’s.

Tenten studied Neji carefully, wishing they were alone, wishing she could have more time to explain.

As the room emptied and it grew quieter, Tenten watched Detective Lee approach Neji, a broad grin across his face. “Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Hyuga! We never would have uncovered this plot if it weren’t for you.”

“You should only give credit to yourself, Detective,” Neji responded, his gaze unwittingly wandering to Tenten. “You were the one who found out, not me.”

Detective Lee glanced over his shoulder to Tenten. She determinedly looked down at her lap, twisting her fingers together. “Will you be pressing charges?” Detective Lee asked.

Tenten’s heart shuddered at those words. She caught Neji’s eye—he stared at her for a long moment before wordlessly shaking his head. “No. Let her go,” he murmured, so softly that Tenten had to resort to reading his lips.

_Don’t get excited_ , she warned herself, already feeling her skin erupt with a shiver.

“She seems genuine to me, considering the circumstances,” Detective Lee said, his voice carrying in the mostly empty room.

Neji shook his head, noncommittal. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“What happens next will be vitally important to our investigation—I will need your continued assistance over the next few weeks as we make progress in studying Akatsuki. I hope that won’t be a problem?”

Neji’s mouth tightened, but Hinata stepped forward, overhearing. “I would be glad to help you, Detective Lee. Neji has earned a break, if you ask me.”

Neji turned to his cousin, surprise on his face. “Hinata, I don’t expect you to—”

“Go get some sleep, Neji. You look awful,” Hinata said bluntly.

Detective Lee chuckled and nodded smoothly. “Very well. It will be an honor to work with you concerning this matter, Miss Hyuga.” Shaking their hands energetically, Detective Lee moved away, headed for the door. Before he exited the room, he inclined his head to Tenten, winking at her. Tenten watched him go, her heart warming a little to him with that small gesture.

Her attention was diverted, however, when Hinata and Naruto stepped over. Tenten stood to her feet, wondering what to say to the woman she’d come to consider a friend.

“Tenten?” Hinata tentatively said.

Tenten nodded once, her fingers anxiously twisting together.

“I have a lot of questions,” Hinata began, holding Tenten’s gaze seriously, “but I think for now, all I want to say is thank you.” She held out her hand to shake.

Tenten winced at such an impersonal gesture, but she quickly accepted, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “I don’t deserve your thanks.”

Hinata released a miniscule smile, some of the stress and sadness from the past month leaving her face. “You protected me, and I’m grateful. Maybe in a few weeks we can meet again, and I can ask my questions.”

Tenten flushed at the chance. “I’d like that.”

Hinata beamed and nodded, tugging on Naruto’s hand to lead him out of the conference room; he shot Tenten a cheeky grin.

Slowly, Tenten looked back to Neji, where he was now standing alone. She walked over to him, holding her breath as she held his gaze. She stopped a few paces away, admiring his suit from up close. Hopefully, she asked him, “Can I buy you a drink?”

**-x-**

“So, you have no family.”

Tenten glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Neji’s gaze was lowered, watching his own fingers as he fidgeted with the edge of his drink napkin. “No,” she answered, reaching for her vodka glass. “Ward of the state.”

Neji sighed. “Can you even translate?”

Tenten nodded. “I can. But I wouldn’t ever do it for a job. Too monotonous.”

Neji rolled his bourbon glass between his hands, thinking. After a brief pause, he began, “The woman. From the club—”

“Angel,” Tenten proffered, taking a sip of her drink.

Neji winced, and begrudgingly continued, “Angel. She was some . . . persona you made up?”

Tenten nodded again. “I worked there from time to time for a particular assignment.”

“As a stripper?”

“A fake stripper,” Tenten corrected, flushing a little at Neji’s scrutiny.

He tilted his head, still not looking at her, running a thumb around the rim of his highball glass. Tenten could feel his apprehension and it caused her gut to drop. Nervously, she fiddled with her napkin, folding it three, four, five times.

“And I was your assignment. To an extent.”

“Yes.”

“I assume they were going to pay you a lot, for your success.”

Tenten made a face. “That’s being a little generous. I was still on probation when they gave me this assignment—any pay I would have gotten would have been docked.”

Neji glanced at her for a second, and she stilled, carefully trying to decipher his mood. He didn’t seem angry or upset or even particularly bothered—only weary. “You know,” he murmured, “it’s hard for me to forgive people.”

“I can relate to that,” Tenten said, thinking of Sasuke.

“Tenten,” Neji said, turning to her.

Tenten flinched, still unused to her name being spoken aloud by him. She pursed her lips, waiting.

Neji reached out, ever so cautiously, and touched the edge of her sleeve, not quite brushing her skin. He said quietly, “There are so many things I’ve learned since my uncle died—about my father, about my uncle. They both hid things from me. My father pretended to have things he didn’t. My uncle left me in the dark about a company that he wanted me to inherit. And what I can’t seem to reconcile is why he chose me in the first place, to carry such a burden. I never had loyalty to the company—only to my family. I’ve wanted out for years—and in a fucked-up way, you released me from all of it.”

Tenten swallowed, weighing each of his words. Neji finished the last of his drink and set it back down on the bar, contemplative.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, controlling the emotion that was lodged in her throat. “I’m—I wish I hadn’t. Fucked it up, I mean.”

Neji smirked and glanced at her. “I’m saying thank you,” he said.

Tenten raised her eyebrows in surprise. She let out a scoff and shook her head, draining her glass. “You’re a man full of surprises, Neji Hyuga—the exact opposite of what I first thought.”

Neji studied her for a long moment. Tenten’s skin prickled as she fought the urge to look away. “Well, I suppose we’re all pretending, in one way or another. Until we decide to be honest with ourselves,” he said finally.

Tenten smiled a little.

The bartender glanced at them. “Another?” he asked.

Tenten glanced at Neji. He stared back, tapping his empty glass in consideration. Tenten waited, unwavering, until Neji gave her a small, imperceptible nod. A small smile gracing her mouth, Tenten scooted her barstool nearer to Neji, daring to reach out and lace their fingers together.

She looked at the bartender, a gleam in her eyes. “Keep them coming,” she said.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Implied sexiness.

**-epilogue-**

They came to an agreement that wasting an already-paid-for weekend getaway would be an unfortunate way to end things.

So, train tickets in hand, Tenten and Neji slipped away late into the night, slightly drunk. Upon their arrival at the hotel Tenten had booked, they meandered around the grounds trying to sober up some, inhaling the sharp scent of not-quite-spring in the air.

“How much do you want to bet it snows again while we’re here?” Tenten murmured to Neji, her breath fogging in the night.

“No bets—we’re both unemployed,” Neji reminded her, hands in his pockets as he considered the moon hanging above them.

“Fuck,” Tenten said, running a hand through her bangs. “I forgot.”

Neji caught her eye, a smile tugging at his lips. Tenten stared back, the cold air slicing down her throat. “Are you sleepy?” she finally asked.

Neji shook his head. “Are you?”

“No.” She pressed her lips together, aching to touch him. She glanced away, thinking for a moment, before glancing back at him, a mischievous smile on her lips. “They have hot springs here.”

Neji studied her for a long second, then raised his eyebrows. “Want to take a look?”

**-x-**

“If hotel management catches us, we’ll be lucky if they don’t kick us out.”

Tenten rolled her eyes, sighing as the steam from the spring beaded on her skin. “Neji, I already told you—it’s a communal spring.”

“And we’re here in the dead of night, with no one else around,” he replied, not sounding too concerned.

Tenten turned to him, leaning back against the wall. He watched her, arms spread out along the wall, his torso pale and glistening from the moonlight above.

The natural spring was outdoors, sectioned off from the hotel by a high gated wall. Heat rose in lazy tendrils from the surface of the water.

“Was this your plan all along?” Neji asked quietly after a moment. “To get me naked in a hot spring? Were you going to confess to me here?”

Tenten smirked and swam closer to him. “No, but that would have been a good idea. I’ll be sure to think of it next time.”

Neji snorted, drumming his fingers against the wall. “You’re very presumptuous,” he murmured softly. “Who says there will be a next time?”

Tenten stilled, resting her shoulder against the wall as she looked at him. “Do you want there to be?”

Neji turned his head, eyes roaming over her face. “I can’t help thinking how . . . strange it would be. To go back and explain everything.”

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Tenten replied, “We could lie. Say I got amnesia. Or that I had an evil twin.”

Neji’s mouth pulled into an amused smirk. Tenten’s heart flipped. He moved closer to her, his fingertips drifting across the surface of the water. “Lying doesn’t solve anything, Tenten. Or has this experience taught you nothing?”

Her skin shivered with the sound of her name leaving his mouth; she still hadn’t gotten used to it.

Neji continued, his eyes skimming across the dark landscape around them, “What will I tell everyone—that a woman I’ve been dating for six months is actually someone else and has a criminal record?”

“I still think the evil twin idea would work,” Tenten muttered, inching towards him.

Neji smiled but it was troubled, his forehead creased with concern. Tenten touched his brow with her wet fingers, smoothing out the lines. “You’re overthinking,” she whispered. “All you have to do is say that six months ago, you met a stripper, fell in love with her, but were too embarrassed by her job to mention it. But now, you realize that your embarrassment was misguided, and that who cares if she’s a stripper—she’s your girlfriend.”

Neji had closed his eyes during her speech, his hands sliding down her forearms to rest on her biceps. “That would require another deception, Tenten.”

“It’s only a white lie, Neji, but fine,” she released, unconcerned, mesmerized by the way he looked in the moonlight. “Then I’ll tell everyone the truth. We can have a meeting; I’ll explain everything in excruciating detail. Hinata can throw in how I thwarted her would-be kidnapping, I’ll tell a few anecdotes from my life as a hardened criminal, and then we can live happily ever after.”

Neji’s eyes cracked open, letting go of her arms to slip his hands underneath the water, grasping her waist. “‘Happily ever after’?” he mused, raising an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t have assumed you wanted that.”

Tenten shrugged. “Look, I’m not expecting us to ride off into the sunset after all of this. We should probably go to therapy.”

Neji considered this. His hand trailed up her spine and came to rest on the back of her neck. “I don’t want any more secrets between us,” he finally said, weaving his fingers into her hair.

Tenten leaned into his touch, pressing her body into his. Finding his eyes, she murmured, “I don’t have anything left to hide from you, Neji Hyuga. And even if I did, I wouldn’t want to.”

She lifted her head and Neji bent down, placing his lips on hers. They kissed languidly, savoring the silence and the heat between them.

Tenten pulled back, uncertainty in her chest. “Can I ask for something I don’t deserve?”

Neji waited for her to go on, his eyes luminescent as he considered her.

Tenten took a breath, gazing at him seriously. “I know I don’t have a right to ask this, but . . . will you promise to think about forgiving me, someday, for all the terrible things I put you through? For all the lies I told? For the mess I made and the confusion I caused?”

Neji blinked slowly, wrapping his arms tighter around her. Tenten slid her legs around his waist, her eyes searching for any sign of hope.

“Only if you tell me something in exchange,” he said finally.

Tenten nodded attentively.

Neji glanced away for a moment, his eyebrows drawn in thought. “I wonder, now, if we’re actually compatible. If you say you want to be with me, want my forgiveness, only for a fiction—for someone you think that I am, but I’m not.”

Tenten trailed her dripping fingers up to lace behind Neji’s neck, staring steadily into his eyes. “I don’t want you because you make me feel less lonely or because I’m attracted to you. I want you because of who you are—all the sacrifices you’ve made for your family, for the love you have for your father and how you’re still grieving his death, for the way you protect Hinata and Naruto and Hanabi. You put me at ease. You make me want to be honest. I’ve thought long and hard about this, Neji Hyuga—you’ve made a fool of me and I’ve decided to let myself be okay with that.”

Neji’s hand wound into her hair, drawing her to him again. Tenten sunk into his embrace, her heart racing. When they parted, Neji tilted his head at her, a new gleam in his eyes. “Let’s go inside.”

Tenten cast a sad look around the hot spring. Neji chuckled, shaking his head. “I should have known. You only selected this place because of the hot spring, didn’t you? Does this mean you really were only dating me for my shower?”

Tenten pretended to think about it, then said, “What would Neji Hyuga’s shower be without Neji Hyuga?”

They shared a smile and kissed once more, letting the steam and the moonlight fill in around them.

**-x-**

It took a long time to unmake all the lies that had been told, and forge what trust had been broken—far longer than any weekend getaway could provide. But (and this is the important part) they began the journey together. One could suppose they would end it there as well.

**-end-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you found it enjoyable. If you have thoughts, I'd love to hear them! -k_no_b


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